Meet Me in My Dreams
by perpetual twilight
Summary: If they are dreams at all... The more reviews, the more updates.
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

I've been having strange dreams lately. I'm not sure if they could be called dreams, but all I knew was that they came to me in my sleep. Bright splashes of color dominated them, but the feelings were overwhelming also. Most prominent of these emotions was fear. It was the kind of fear that clutches your heart and freezes you in shock.

This fear would become exaggerated in my sleep. I felt like something was chasing me, something terribly dangerous. I would be racing to save something precious, but I would never know what that something was. Colors would fly by, distorted faces and eyes that would stare at me solemnly as I stumbled along. Oddly enough, I always woke from these dreams rather peacefully—slowly opening my eyes with a hint of a smile on my lips. I was still scared though.

Then one morning, as I opened my eyes slowly from another frightening dream, I had a strange nagging feeling of familiarity. There had been something different about that dream. It was as if a veil had been lifted and something important had been made clear to me. If only I knew what though.


	2. Chapter 1

**This chapter may seem a bit of a drag, and it's not terribly important. It's just adding to the background story. (Adding this note since the Link-ness isn't apparent just yet.) Editted a few mistakes out too.**

**Chapter 1**

The alarm rang shrill in my ears as I fumbled to turn it off. Ugh. It was Monday.

_Time is passing so quickly, _I thought to myself. It was already October in my junior year. Soon first semester would be over, and then second, and then senior year, and then…

I didn't want to think about life after high school.

The tiled bathroom floor was cold to my feet as I walked into my bathroom. No matter how hot it was outside, my room had a way of staying cool, even without air conditioning.

I carelessly flicked on the lights and regarded my reflection with an apathetic stare. My eyes were faintly tinged with red, as if I had not gotten any sleep at night. I didn't feel tired though, so I dismissed the matter. I hastily brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my hair. My hair was shoulder-length so it wasn't too hard to take care of. I glanced again at my eyes and decided to apply a few eye drops since the color was rather disturbing.

I shuffled off toward my closet to pick out my outfit for the day. It was impossible to dress nicely on Mondays and Fridays since I had fencing practice in the afternoons. With a small sigh I pulled out a sweatshirt and sweatpants. I don't know why I chose to join fencing. It was obvious that I lacked the talent or stamina or whatever it was that other people had. It was too late now though. If I quit, I would never hear the end of it from my parents and fellow team members.

The clock told me I was running a bit late, so I hurriedly threw on my clothes and proceeded to dig through my clothes for a pair of socks. I pulled out two mismatching ones and decided that they would do. No one was going to look at my feet anyways. I sprinted down the stairs and bolted into the kitchen. I still had five minutes until the bus would arrive. Tennis shoes were a necessity. Breakfast wasn't. By the time I located both shoes, it was time to go. I grabbed my book bag and extremely large and bulky fencing equipment bag, hoped that I had everything, and walked out the door.

My parents always left the house very early (around 6:30 AM), so if I ever missed the bus, I would have to hitch a ride from one of my neighbors, something I wasn't eager to do.

Thankfully, I was just in time for my bus. It arrived just as I reached the bus stop. Perfect timing. I didn't like to stand awkwardly with the other kids on my street, not saying a word.

The people on the bus were unusually quiet; everybody seemed to be still living in a relaxing weekend instead of a noisy bus ride to an educational institution. My mind was also elsewhere—thinking about my dream. I tried to remember any small details that I may have forgotten. Unfortunately, the alarm had a very annoying way of shattering my dreams and shoving them into the back of my mind with its loud beeping. My dream had faded. Even the most vivid colors had become dim and dull. I sighed.

The bus pulled up to my friend's stop and I looked out eagerly. She was standing there, carrying her extra-bulky fencing bag.

"Hey, Jay," she said as she slid into the seat, squishing me against my fencing bag. It was always a tight squeeze with our equipment, but I preferred her company compared to a stranger's.

"Hey," I replied, fidgeting around. I immediately jumped to my dream. "I had this really weird dream last night."

"Really? What was it?" she asked. She was busy arranging her book bag to a more comfortable position on her lap so I paused, gathering my thoughts.

"You know how I've been having strange dreams lately? The ones with all the colors?" I asked her.

"Mmhmm." She nodded an affirmative.

"Well, last night, it was even stranger. I think I recognized someone or something. I don't know what, though."

"Hmm, that's weird," she agreed. "I had a weird dream, too," she continued.

I listened, occasionally throwing in a "uh-huh" or "woah" depending on the story.

Her narration lasted until we reached school.

"Isn't that _weird_?" she asked me. Her dream was about a monkey in a house full of ice.

"Dreams are always really weird," I agreed.

We walked to our lockers in silence. I waved goodbye when I reached my locker, and she walked towards hers.

I grabbed all my books and stuffed them in my book bag. Even after dropping off my fencing bag in a storage closet, I was too early to go to class. I turned to go to the cafeteria, deliberated, and then changed my mind and headed for the media center. It was about time I checked out a book anyways.

Although the school library didn't have a big a variety as I would've liked, it sufficed. I immediately went toward the fiction section. My friends have lately become very obsessed over Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I decided to check it out just to prove them wrong. I mean, how good could avampire story be?

The warning bell rang just as I finished checking it out at the counter. I bolted out the double doors. Just my luck that my first class was on the opposite side of the school.

I enjoyed having art as my first class; it was basically an extra hour to sleep or study. I usually could finish all my drawings and paintings a few days early and still manage to get a good grade. Today, I took class time to start reading Twilight. Perhaps that was a bad idea. The book was _good_. No, _more_ than good—it was _amazing_. I could not put it down. Edward Cullen was just so…so…perfect.

I shook my head. Now was not a good time to get all "fan-girly." The bell rang sooner than I thought it would, and I jerked my head up in surprise. I met my friend's eye across the room and she grinned at me.

"How're you liking that book, Jay?" she asked as we left the room.

"It's amazing!" I gushed, already obsessed about it.

"Ha, ha. Be careful though. Remember we have that big math test tomorrow. Don't forget to study."

"Oh, dang," I muttered. "Thanks for reminding me, Anne."

"No problem." She winked.

I headed off to Pre-Calculus, my nose still stuck in my book. I wished life was like a story.

The rest of my day passed quite uneventfully. After Math was History class, where I promptly fell asleep as soon as the teacher started talking. After History was Language Arts. We were acting out Macbeth. Thankfully I had a small part as a scout, so I could sneak in a bit more reading time. Lunch finally rolled around: one whole hour of reading and food. My friends all smiled knowingly at me; they had already read the book. After lunch came French, basically my "digestion" class. It was an easy course and I only had to blink and nod at the teacher to keep her satisfied. Finally Chemistry came. We were doing a lab: Weather Flowers. It was basically another free period as soon as I hung up my paper flower covered in chemicals to dry.

And then, fencing came. I groaned and wondered how many more bruises I would get this time. I walked with my friend Claire to her locker.

"I don't want to go to fencing," I complained.

"You _always_ say that!" she pointed out. "Why don't you just quit?"

"I don't know…"

She finished up at her locker and got up. We walked in silence for a while. I was mentally preparing myself for fencing and she was probably getting exasperated at me. She waved goodbye as we reached her bus.

"See you tomorrow!" I called. She nodded in reply. Turning around, I trudged off toward the gym.

Fencing was brutal, just as I predicted. In the first five minutes, my opponent had already managed to hit me on the arm extremely hard. I didn't even know his name. I was rather timid about hurting strangers, but in a world of fencing, shyness was the least wanted quality.

"Sorry," he muttered. He knew I wasn't very good and probably regretted fencing me.

"It's okay," I squeezed out, massaging my arm. "I guess you're just too good for me." I was joking, but it wasn't too far from the truth.

We settled into ready position again. This time, I decided to go on the offensive. As soon as our director yelled "fence," I lunged. Unfortunately, my opponent easily parried away my epée and hit me in the collarbone. It hurt, but I pushed the pain away.

Our bout continued for a good while. Finally, I had enough.

"Good match," I said, taking off my mask and walking over to shake his hand. We hadn't even finished our bout yet. The score was, very pathetically, 14-1. The one point I got was out of pure luck when he tripped. I didn't want him to reach 15 points though, since that would mean he really beat me. I ignored his shocked features and wandered off, trying to find someone who was closer to my level of skill.

"Hey, Jay!" a girl called. "Wanna fence?"

I turned around to spot my friend Kathy walking over.

"Sure, Kathy." She was about a head shorter than me. Surely I wouldn't lose so humiliatingly to her…

The score wasn't as bad as the last bout, but I still lost. 15-8. Her winning point was rather embarrassing for me though. As she lunged out at me, I attempted to retreat by hopping backwards. I didn't know that I was very close to a wall. Kathy tried to warn me, but I had already hit it. Somehow, my epée flew out of my gloved hand and hit our director in the shins. I lost balance and fell. Kathy, out of pure concern, rushed over to me… with her epée out. I frantically waved my hands to try to get her to stop, but she didn't. She managed to hit me right in the stomach. I didn't really believe that point was fair, but the director was still sore at me for "throwing" my epée at him, so he counted it.

"Sorry, Jay," Kathy muttered after we had shaken hands. "I forgot that I was still armed." She chuckled sheepishly.

"Nah, it's all right. I probably would've lost anyways." I tried to make my smile convincing, but in reality, I was starting to feel all my bruises.

Fortunately, our allotted time of one hour for practice was up. The basketball team started to come in, eager for us to leave. I packed up quickly and rushed out of the building.

"Jay! Wait up!" I recognized Kelly's voice. "You're getting a ride with me, remember?"

We always carpooled since we lived in the same neighborhood. It was more convenient for my parents.

"Oh, right," I smiled. "I just needed some air."

Kelly nodded. I wondered if she had seen my humiliating defeats. I prayed that she hadn't. Although she joined fencing at the same time I did, she was already very proficient while I still struggled.

Kelly's mom always had a way of being on exactly on time so I didn't have to wait. She pulled up in her indigo-blue Toyota Camry and Kelly and I got in. Our fencing bags barely fit.

Throughout the ride home, Kelly kept her mom entertained with stories of how she fenced. I was glad that I didn't have to talk about my day. Unfortunately, her mom asked me how I was doing as a polite way to start conversation. I cringed.

"So Kelly, did you fence Jackie?" she innocently pulled me into the conversation. Not to mention, she used my real name. I grimaced.

"_Jay_ and I didn't get a chance to fence," Kelly answered, stressing my preferred name. I smiled at her.

"Oh, that's too bad."

I opened my window so I could feel the cool air rushing against my face. The leaves were painted a myriad of colors and the air was crisp. Autumn was my favorite season. Kelly's mom said something, but I couldn't hear over the whoosh of the wind. I grinned and nodded—I had no idea what I just agreed to. Realizing that being hearing impaired wasn't a good idea, I closed my window.

"That's great!" Kelly exclaimed. "We haven't gone trick-or-treating together for a couple of years. You're always busy!"

"O-Oh, yeah," I stuttered. I hadn't planned on going trick-or-treating this year at all, but I supposed I could use a break. Besides, sugar was never a bad thing.

"So what're you going to be?" Kelly asked.

"I really don't know," I said honestly. I hadn't given Halloween a single thought.

"Oh, I know! We should be angels!" Kelly was serious. I nearly burst out laughing.

"We'll see," I procrastinated. There was _no way_ I would be an angel. I didn't look the part and I had a serious lack of grace. I had been thinking something more…superhero-ish. I'd always wanted to be a warrior or something along those lines.

"Well, you'd better hurry up and decide," Kelly squeaked. "We only have 2 weeks left!"

We had reached my house and I got out quickly, dragging my stuff after me. I waved a goodbye and shouted my thanks for the ride. Kelly was waving happily at me. Her mom pulled out of my driveway and sped off.

Once inside the house, I could finally relax. After taking a hot shower, I popped a Josh Groban CD into the stereo system and hummed along with all the songs. A bruise was already forming on my upper arm. I sighed. It would look a lot worse tomorrow.

I got started on my homework since I didn't want to stay up into the middle of the night. I didn't have much to do—just find an outfit for Language Arts, make flash cards for French vocabulary, and…study for that math test. I decided I could afford to procrastinate a little more on that last one. It was only 5:45. I turned off the stereo, bounced upstairs and went into my room. I turned on the small TV and my very old, but still completely functional Nintendo 64. I hadn't played Zelda: Ocarina of Time in quite a while. Although I've beaten the game quite a few times, it never got boring.

Currently, I was stuck in Lord Jabu-Jabu, my least favorite obstacle. I somehow always managed to run Link into the electrocuting jellyfish. Princess Ruto was a bit annoying too. Nonetheless, I got so absorbed into the game that I didn't notice that outside, it was already dark. I checked the clock and saw that it was already 7:17. My mom would be home any second now.

I reluctantly turned off the TV and game and slowly walked downstairs. What would it be like to live in Hyrule? To be a hero that was eventually forgotten? To be able to roam around freely, doing whatever? I longed for an answer.

The garage door rumbled open as my mom pulled up the driveway. I ran to open the door for her.

"Hey Jay-jay," she greeted.

"Hey mom," I replied, trying to ignore her silly nickname for me. "Did you buy any groceries?"

"Not tonight, honey. I'm really tired." She kicked off her shoes and wandered into the kitchen.

"It's okay, mom," I volunteered. "I'll cook tonight. Ravioli?"

"Oh thanks. And yeah, sure, ravioli's fine." She slowly walked upstairs. "Oh yeah," she called. "Your father won't be home tonight. He said something about needing to work extra shifts."

My father was currently going to college to try and get his Masters degree in computer software stuff. I was never completely sure of what he was studying. I never asked, either. He refused to not work though, so he picked up a few shifts at a local supermarket. Usually he filled in for anyone who couldn't come.

My mother worked as a 6th grade math teacher at a school about fifty miles away from our house. I tried convincing her to find a job at a school closer to us, but she wouldn't listen. She said she had really made connections with her students and didn't want to disrupt her progress.

I filled a pot halfway with water and waited for it to boil. I took out the ravioli and tomato sauce. I hated waiting for water to boil. It always seemed to be so slow. Finally, after about 10 minutes, bubbles began to emerge. I eagerly plopped two handfuls of ravioli into the hot water and set the timer for 15 minutes.

Wiping my hands off on a towel, I made my way over to our family computer. I opened up a Microsoft Word document and started to record my dreams starting from about a week ago, when the weird color-filled dreams began. I included all the detail I could remember since Kelly wasn't that interested. Satisfied, I saved it as "Dreams" and went to check on the ravioli.

There was still 3 minutes left on the timer, but I was hungry. I turned off the stove and drained the pasta. I gave my mom a bigger portion and put in tomato sauce. I carried her portion up to her, but she was asleep already. I put the bowl of pasta on her nightstand, knowing that she would probably get hungry in the middle of the night.

Cradling my bowl, I hopped over to the living room and turned on the TV. The news anchorman, a rather skinny brunet, was going over the sports news. I changed channels a few times before I found a rather mindless comedy. I knew I should've been studying, but I didn't care. The comedy ended soon though, and I forced myself off the couch.

It was 9:38 already. If I wanted a good grade on that test, I really should study. Condemning myself to hours of torture by numbers, I dragged myself up to my room and shut the door. I listlessly opened my math book, flipping it to a page that looked familiar. Stifling a yawn, I began to read.

The numbers and words zipped past my head and I knew that I wasn't retaining much information. I managed to jot down a few notes and promised myself that I would study on the bus tomorrow.

Shutting the math book with a small _thump_, I teetered over to my bed and collapsed onto it. I thought sleep would come immediately, but it didn't. I tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. I finally turned on the lights again and, with a small growl of frustration, turned on the TV and Nintendo. Fighting monsters probably wasn't a good way to become sleepy, but I really wanted to play. I thought I would probably be able to finish off Lord Jabu-Jabu.

I was. Satisfied, and still smiling from the adventure, I turned off the lights. It was 2:30 AM—not too bad. Sleep came easily this time, and I quickly drifted off.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Link, his tree house, or Kokiri Forest. Thank you. :)**

**Chapter 2**

I was dreaming. I was sure of that. I looked around at my surroundings and recognized them immediately. This was Link's house!

_It must be an after-effect of playing video games_, I thought to myself. I decided I would enjoy it while it lasted though. Everything looked so…real. If a part of my brain hadn't been so rational, I would've instantly accepted that I was wide-awake and actually in a completely different (not to mention made-up) universe.

I roamed around for a little while, taking care not to break anything. Even though it was just a dream, I still wanted to be careful. I desperately tried to memorize everything, saving the images in my mind so I could come back to them later.

The room looked exactly like Link's tree house room. There was the bed, and the tables, and the jars. Unlike the game however, these things actually looked _real_. No grainy graphics and too-large pixels. I walked over to the bed and sat down on it. Man, my brain must be really good at imagining things because this bed felt so real! I could feel the fibers of the coarse wool blanket and the slight springiness of the mattress.

I waited for the dream to suddenly twist—to transform into something not quite so pleasant. Where were all the bright colors? And the fear? Why did I feel so aware in this dream?

But the dream didn't change. The dawn's half-light filtered through the window behind me and elongated my shadow on the wood floor. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the chirping of birds. I shuffled my feet and wondered what would happen if I fell asleep on the bed. Would I dream? A dream within a dream…how utterly odd that would be.

I shook my head. Something was wrong here. I was too into this dream. Dreams shouldn't be like this. I shouldn't be able to think so clearly, so logically.

I got up off the bed and made my way to the door. The cloth curtain was closed, a very noticeable difference from the room in the game. I reached out to pull it open, part of me scared of what I may see and the other part grasped by curiosity. Would I see Kokiri Forest? Or would it be something completely different?

Just as my fingers brushed the material though, the curtain was pulled open from the outside. I suddenly found myself face-to-face with the resident of this tree house.

I stumbled backwards toward the center of the room. It was _Link_… He stared at me, uncomprehending. I stared dumbly back at him. He was a _human_. Well, as close to human as he could get. Like his room, his features were softened—the angles created by unglamorous graphics were gone. But his face still held an alien quality. And his eyes…they burned bright blue under a shock of dark blond hair. Again, if I hadn't known it was a dream, I would've believed that he was real—that he was someone I could meet and have a conversation with.

The seconds seemed to trickle by slowly as we both tried to understand what was going on. Finally, he moved out of the doorway and into the room. Drawing his sword, he shortened the distance between us to about 3 feet. I took a halting step back. I knew he couldn't kill me. He didn't really exist, after all.

"Who are you?" he demanded, putting emphasis on every word. My eyes widened. This dream was going too far. How was it that I was able to imagine his voice so perfectly? It was deep, but not terribly so. It held a sort of ethereal quality, but it had all the authority of the world in it.

"I-I…I don't know!" I stammered out the first thing that came to mind.

Link's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He took another step closer, sword pointed at my throat.

"What are you doing here?"

I could only stutter incoherently. Perhaps this was for the best though, since how could Link possibly take me to be dangerous if I couldn't even string words together?

His sword slowly lowered, though his gloved hand was still tight on the grip. I sighed quietly in relief. I would've sagged down on the floor in relief, but it wasn't there any more.

I let out a squeak of terror and truly believed that I was falling to my death. My rational mind—the one that told me this whole thing was a dream—had apparently stopped reminding me I couldn't die. I flailed around helplessly for a few moments before realizing that I wasn't falling or dying; I was still in an upright standing position, but my feet just weren't in contact with anything any more. I looked around me and saw that everything was fading. My own body was still solid, but everything around me—the walls, the bed, the pots, even Link—were becoming transparent.

The last thing I remember seeing was Link's shocked expression as he and his house disappeared completely from sight.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Link is not mine. How sad.**

**Chapter 3**

I jerked awake.

For a wild moment, I thought I was still in Link's house, staring into his eyes and falling down into a void. Then reality hit me and I clutched my blankets in relief.

I glanced at the clock. It was only 5:45 AM. I didn't need to be up until 7:00, but I knew I couldn't be able to fall asleep again, not with that terrifyingly exciting dream still on my mind. I slipped downstairs and rushed to my computer. Opening up my 'Dream' document, I frantically typed out my entire dream, making sure not to leave out a single vivid detail.

When I was down, I composed myself and read through it again. Even now, the dream was still crystal-clear; it hadn't faded like some of my other dreams. I just couldn't get over how everything had been _so real_.

Maybe I had been playing too many video games. But it wasn't like I hadn't played games before. However, I had never had my imagination play such a cruel trick on me in my sleep. Sure, I had had some pretty scary dreams before, but those were different. The fears in those dreams were never really rational; they were products of childish paranoia.

But this—this was crazy. The emotions rushing through me at the time were so real, so intense. I could still see his eyes, burning into mine as he glared at me. I shivered.

And the worst thought—or perhaps the best—was if this would happen again. Would I dream of him ever again? Or would this sort of dream leave me forever? I felt a small tear in the corner of my eye. I wasn't ready to give this up.

It was 6:30 already. I must've gotten really caught up in my thoughts. Getting up off of my chair, I made my way over to the bathroom. The door to my mom's room was still closed as I passed by it. She probably needed some extra sleep. I brushed my teeth and got ready for school.

By the time I went downstairs again, my mom was also down.

"Honey," she called as she tried to put on her shoes. "You're up early today!"

"Yeah, mom; I couldn't sleep."

"Oh. I'm really running late, darling." As if that wasn't obvious already.

I watched as she rushed around the house, trying to find all her belongings. I picked up her car keys and handed them to her as she darted past me.

"Bye! See you tonight!" she called as she hurried out the garage door.

"Bye, mom," I muttered, too late—she had already closed the door. Sighing, I turned on my heels and made my way over to my book bag. My math book came out with a clunk. Might as well do some studying since I still had about half and hour until the bus came.

Time passed quickly and, before I knew it, it was time for me to go.

The ride to school was uneventful. Kelly was missing; she was probably at a club meeting. She was so involved in school activities. I wasn't.

My bus was running a bit late today so I had to hurry to my first period class. We had a new assignment today: water coloring peaches. Overall, I liked it. Ignoring the fact that I spilled water all over the floor and had to clean it up, I made good progress on the piece.

The math test wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm sure I managed to scrape an A. Hopefully.

The rest of my day seemed to be on fast-forward, and before I knew it, I was on the bus going home. Kelly was on the bus this time, and was chattering on about our Halloween plans.

"I totally figured something out, Jay!" she crowed as soon as I sat down next to her. I nodded for her to continue. "Well, I _know _you have that silly obsession with that video game. What's it called? Legend of Zelly?"

"_Zelda_," I corrected, stifling a chuckle.

"Yeah, that," she continued. "I was thinking that maybe I could be the guy…Clink?"

This time, I actually let loose a squawk of laughter.

"_Link_!" I corrected her.

"Sorry, I'm _horrible_ with names," she admitted. "Anyways, and you could be the girl! You know, since I have short hair and all. Besides, I can't picture you with a sword."

Her mildly implied insult didn't bother me one bit. I was preoccupied with the thought of her dressing up as Link. I compared her to the dream I had and couldn't see the faintest resemblance.

"Um, sure Kelly," I finally said, after a too-long pause. "I guess that would work out, but I don't have any dress that resembles the one Zelda has."

"I'm sure you'll find something," she smiled and waved as the bus reached my stop. I hopped off and headed back toward my house. A smile still tugged on my lips, but now I wasn't in quite a jolly mood.

When I got in the house, I slammed the door shut and immediately went into my room. I plopped onto my bed and stuck my face in my pillow. I was feeling rather tired, but I couldn't fall asleep.

Debating for a moment with myself, and then deciding I didn't have much homework anyways, I turned on the Nintendo. This time, however, I wasn't going to actually play. I just needed to soak in what everything looked like.

I just about had everything memorized already, but just to refresh my memory, I wandered around in places that I never thought to explore, especially Kokiri Forest. I mentally etched the buildings and trails into my mind. Then, satisfied, I turned off the game.

I looked out the window for a few moments. The sky was brilliant—lit up with the setting sun as if it was on fire. Pinks, purples, and oranges dominated the color scheme and wisps of clouds added to the texture. I rushed downstairs and out the door just to be closer to it.

I sat on my front lawn and watched the sun sink lower. I breathed deeply, not caring how bad the air quality was. Although we lived in the suburbs, smog hung over the horizon like a smothering blanket.

Dawn and twilight—my two favorite times of the day. There was always a peaceful quality in the atmosphere at these times. Unfortunately, the passing cars shattered the mood.

The sky soon darkened completely and I got up, dusted myself off, and went back into the house. It was 8:00 already. My mom still wasn't home.

Slightly worried, I dialed her cell phone number. After 3 rings, she answered. Her voice sounded tired.

"Mom? Where are you?"

"Oh, Jay? Yeah, I'm sorry," she replied. "We had a last minute board meeting and I just had to be there. It wasn't anything important really—just some kids vandalizing the building and whatnot. I'm on my way home right now. Isn't your father back yet?"

"No, he's not."

She sighed. She didn't seem surprised though. "Well, could you make some apple pie? You know I really like it."

"Sure, mom. No problem." I hung up. Apple pie for dinner? She must be feeling really bad.

I opened the fridge and took out 5 big green apples. After I finished making the pie crust, I left it there to sit for 15 minutes. I wandered around the house aimlessly while I waited. My mom had always called me fidgeting, and I was. I could never hold still for more than a few minutes at a time. I had to be constantly moving around or doing something to occupy my mind.

After the crust was ready, I made the filling. The apples had to be cooked in a pan with cinnamon, sugar, and lemon juice for 20 minutes. I couldn't wander though, since I needed to keep an eye on the stove.

After it was done, I poured the filling into the crust and sliced some more apples to place on top of it. I popped it in the already heated oven and set the timer for 50 minutes.

Just as I got ready to go do my homework, I heard the garage door open. Minutes later, my mom appeared, looking very bedraggled.

She sniffed the air appreciatively. "Smells nice."

I smiled in response. "It's going to be another 40 minutes."

"I can wait." She went to go watch TV in the living room.

When the pie was ready, we ate in silence. It was still a little sour since I didn't add enough sugar, but I didn't mind. I needed something to keep my awake, anyways.

I washed up when we were both through eating. My mom looked as tired as I felt. My legs seemed to be heavier than usual as I trundled up the stairs to my room. On the way up, I muttered an excuse to my mom and she nodded slightly.

Once again, I collapsed onto the bed, but this time I meant to sleep. I felt my mind begin to drift off as my brain shut down slowly. My last thought was if I would dream of Link again…


	5. Chapter 4

**No, no. Link isn't mine. And neither is Kakariko, or Hyrule, or the town. Not even the dancing couple. I don't own much in here.**

**Please review? I don't like to beg, but I _would_ like some reassurance that this story is being read…**

**Chapter 4**

I was lying on my side in grass this time. I could feel the warmth of the midday sun pouring onto my arm and face. I slowly opened my eyes, mentally bracing myself for what I would see. There it was, all before my eyes: Hyrule Field.

I slowly got to my feet, noting once the again the odd feeling of _awareness_. The field seemed deserted for now. I turned around in circles, observing my surroundings. It was a lot more than I expected.

The grass, the trees, the sky—they were all so realistic. I could see each individual blade of grass gently waving to the rhythm of the breeze. The bark on the trees looked magnificently real and I couldn't help but wander over and touch it. The grains of the bark were cool against my fingers. The clouds drifted lazily across the shockingly blue sky.

At that moment, I was utterly and indescribably thankful for dreams. This was my _utopia_. Even though I hadn't created this realm, my mind had certainly fixed it up a bit.

I chuckled to myself. If only the video game had graphics like these. I began to walk around the field, a small part of my mind fearing for a sudden twist in the dream. But it was hard to feel threatened in such a peaceful place. I soon found myself in front of the drawbridge to the marketplace. It seemed to tower over my head, bigger than how I had thought it would be. I tentatively crossed it, wondering if entering a different place would be like the game. Would there be subtitles telling me where I was? I giggled at the thought.

It wasn't like the game though. As soon as I neared the market, I could hear the sounds of people—talking, shouting, laughing, yelling—ahead of me. Perplexed, I hurried forward. A tiny part of my mind told me something didn't quite add up, but I ignored it.

I blinked. This marketplace was huge—different from the one in the game. The layout was the same, but it was as if someone had expanded it to twice its normal size. I felt tiny.

People bustled around, shouting at each other for being too slow. Off to my right, I could see a woman haggling over a breadbasket with a scrawny man. On my left side, there was a child chasing after butterflies. And there before me, I nearly bust out laughing at the sight, was the dancing couple. But here in my dream, they were radiant. People had formed a small crowd around them and watched as the man twirled the woman around. The crowd "ooh"-ed and "ahh"-ed at each spectacular show of grace.

I was soon clapping my hands and enjoying myself thoroughly, completely forgetting that this was just my mind's fiction. Then suddenly, I spotted him. He was just a patch of green tunic among all the other people's clothes, but I recognized him immediately. He was leaving the marketplace.

A part of me wanted to stay and explore, but a burning curiosity told me to follow him. I fell back a few steps behind me, hiding behind a large man carrying a basket full of stinking fish. Thankfully, many people were leaving the marketplace so I could hide myself decently. As soon as we were out of the marketplace, however, everyone went their separate ways.

Soon, Link was the only person left in front of me. He seemed to be headed in the general direction of Lon Lon ranch. Aware that there was an old woman behind me, I put on some speed and reduced the distance between me and Link to about 10 feet. He made no acknowledgement that he had heard my approach.

"Link!" I called. He stopped dead in his tracks. Pivoting slowly on his feet, he turned to face me. I stopped abruptly too. Words that I had wanted to say suddenly left my mind and I stared at him, mouth agape.

"It's…It's _you_ again," he hissed, a puzzled expression clear on his features. "Who _are_ you?" he demanded.

"I know I'm just dreaming," I stammered out. His eyes flew open in surprise. I continued, ignoring his reaction. "I just wanted to talk to you. I mean, I love playing your games. Well, they're not _your_ games, but…"

I stopped. He was glaring at me furiously.

"A _game_? Just a _dream_?" he whispered. "I don't know who you are, but it's clear that you're a stranger here." He glanced at what I was wearing and with a sickening feeling, I realized I was in my pajamas: a holey pair of grey sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt. I wasn't even wearing shoes.

"I know our last meeting was a bit bizarre," I stammered out. "But I really just wanted to talk to you for a while this time."

He paused, then slowly nodded. "I think I may have a few questions for you too," he admitted. "Like… how in the _world_ did you disappear last time?"

He stared at me, waiting for an answer. How was I supposed to answer his question when I had no idea myself?

"Like I said before," I tried, "to me, this is all just a dream. I go to sleep, and then I'm here. I don't know why, but I guess my mind just really likes dreaming about this place." I gestured toward the field.

"This…is all just a dream to you?" he asked quietly, piercing me with his eyes.

"W-Well, yeah…" It was so hard to think of anything intelligent to say when he was looking at me.

"Perhaps we should talk," he decided, beckoning me to follow him.

"Wait! Where are we going?" I asked. He only shrugged in response. Frustrated, I followed him silently. He soon stopped under the shade of a tree.

"Sit," he said simply, settling himself down on the shaded grass. After a moment's indecision, I sat down a few feet in front of him.

"If I'm remembering correctly," he said, not meeting my eyes, "you said something about a game? _My _game?"

"Ah," I sighed. How to explain to a fictional character in a dream? I decided to take a normal route, instead of screaming at him that this wasn't real. "Well, you see, back in my…world, when I'm awake, I'm able to play a game—a video game, to be precise."

"A… video—" he started. Then he stopped himself. "Never mind." He waved for me to continue.

"Umm, well, in this game, I can control you in a way. I act as though I'm you and I go on adventures and such. It's really quite fun!" I don't know why I added that last statement. It just seemed a bit wrong to make it seem as if he was a puppet.

"Ha…ha…" He looked disturbed. "How can it be a game though? I am alive. This is my life and I don't think I'm being controlled by anyone." He seemed to be talking as much to himself as to me.

_Because it's all just my dream!_ I wanted to scream, but I refrained. My dream characters weren't supposed to have such spirit.

"But…" he started, still confused. "What _is_ a video game?"

The absence of electricity struck me. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Well, in my world," I explained. I didn't know why I referred to it as _my world_. "In my world, there are these things called TVs. They're just a sort of entertainment, really. Well, they basically display images on them with colored bits of electricity…"

I sounded completely stupid. Link must think I was insane. I glanced up at him, and saw that he was faintly smiling. I ignored him.

"And on these TVs, it's possible to play games. It displays the images and I can control what happens. Of course, the graphics in the game fall way short of this place."

Link was grinning widely now.

"W-What?" I demanded.

"Nothing," he laughed, shaking his head.

"You…You don't believe me, do you?" I was aggravated.

"Not a word." His eyes were filled with glee.

I got up abruptly. I had no sense of direction, but spun to my right and began to stomp away from him. I could hear him getting up, meaning to catch me. I broke into a run.

"Wait! Hey, you! Come back!" He was still laughing at me. I ran faster.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he popped in front of me. "Where are you going?" he smiled, still amused.

"Home, damn it!" I shouted. "This whole thing is just so annoying."

"Well, I _doubt_ your home is over here. You're headed toward Gerudo Valley." He looked at me curiously. "Where do you live? Kakariko? I'll take you home."

He obviously believed that I was mental and that, if left alone, I would probably kill myself.

"What's your name, anyways?" he asked.

"My name is Jay," I said coldly. "And I don't think you'd be able to get me home."

"Jay? That's a weird name."

I wanted to tear my hair out. "How many times do I have to tell you? I don't belong here! Wait, no. I mean, _you_ don't belong here!!"

"What?! This is my home!"

"Not _here_ as in Hyrule. _Here_ as in _my dreams_!" I turned away from him again and began to run in the opposite direction of where I was going. He easily caught me. Acutely aware that his hand was on my elbow (not to mention that I could feel his glove perfectly on my skin), I turned to stare up at him.

"I-I don't understand," he admitted. He looked embarrassed and quickly let go of my arm. Surprised, I couldn't speak.

He mistook my shocked silence as a hostile one. Without looking at me, he began to murmur. "All I know is that you showed up in my house about a week ago, and now you're here again. I've always lived here, and now you show up, claiming that my whole world isn't real at all. Forgive me if I don't accept what you're saying."

I could barely hear his words. He had said _a week ago_. It had only been one day though. Shaking my head, I spoke to him.

"I don't understand much of what is going on here either. I just go to sleep, expecting to dream normal dreams, and then I find myself here! I know there's something different about this place—it's clearer than any dream I've ever had—but I still believe that this is all just a dream."

Link nodded. He seemed to accept that I was adamant on my position.

"So last time… How did you just disappear? Did you use fairy magic?"

"No…" I said as calmly as I could. "I don't have any… fairy magic. I have no idea how I left last time. It just…happened—so suddenly too!"

He grimaced. "You're right. You _did _look a bit scared when you started fading away."

"Fading away…?" I asked. "You mean, it just looked as if I had turned into a ghost and vanished?"

"Yeah…"

"This is, _by far_, the most complex dream I have _ever_ had. I don't see why my brain is wasting all this energy fabricating this entire story!"

"Maybe it'd be easier for you to just accept that this is real?" Link suggested with a small wink.

"Uh-uh, no way. There is no way in hell that this is real."

He smiled again. "You're stubborn."

"I've been told," I agreed. Although his smile sent shivers of excitement down my spine, I forced myself to keep my head clear.

"Well, since you're here already, do you want me to show you around?" he asked, seeming like the perfect gentleman.

"I guess that would be nice," I admitted grudgingly. "I _would_ like to see more of this place."

"Well then, come on!" He grabbed my hand and nearly dragged me along.

No sooner had we taken a few steps, however, the world around me began to become blurry. Everything seemed to fade and I braced myself. Looking towards Link, I saw that he was becoming translucent already. I was finally waking up.

"Jay? Jay!" His voice sounded oddly muffled. I could barely hear him. I looked down at our hands and realized I was practically holding on to air now.

And then everything vanished.


	6. Chapter 5

**Once again, Link is not, and never will be, mine. -sobs-**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! They mean a lot to me. :D**

**Chapter 5**

The dreams did not return the next night. In fact, they were gone for a few days. During that time, I was restless. I wanted to dream again, to talk to this Link that my mind had created. It was torturous not knowing whether or not I would ever dream of him again.

There were no dreams replacing the one I had lost; instead, my sleep was filled with simply a blank, a void where nothing could come.

I felt as if I had lost a part of myself.

But although I missed having these dreams, their absence gave me a time to think. I still had so many questions for Link. It wasn't fair, not knowing when or for how long I would dream of him again. I replayed the dreams over and over in my head, reaching back in my memory to find those special details.

I started to slack in school. After two nights with no dreams, I resorted to daydreaming. I would think in the halls, often crashing into people, and I would ruminate in class. I was sure my grades were suffering, but I didn't care any more.

My friends were concerned. They often approached me as if to ask me what was wrong, but my eyes must've looked too haunted. They left without a word, seeking less depressing company. I didn't care. I was beginning to wonder if my dreams were the product of a mental illness.

During this entire time, my dad only came home once for a day, and then he was stuck at school again. He had smiled at me, his eyes behind his glasses tired-looking. I would've expected my mom to be happy, but she wasn't. The atmosphere in the house was chilly. I shut myself in my room and just sat on a chair, hugging my knees and wondering what I would do if the dreams never came again.

Four days after the last dream, I was more restless than usual. After coming school, I rushed into my room immediately. If I wasn't going to dream about Link anymore, I might as well see him in the video game. Since I had all the Spiritual Stones now, all that was left for me to do was make my way to Hyrule Castle.

I played half-heartedly, already knowing exactly what to expect. After seeing the Hyrule of my dreams, the video game was seriously sub par. But I just needed to be immersed in the adventure of magical spirit of it all.

Soon enough, I had successfully skipped seven years in time and had transformed Link into an adult. I went out the Temple of Time and I suddenly realized what had been wrong with the marketplace in my dreams. The sky in the game was dark and ominous. A large ring of smoke hung around Death Mountain's peak. I knew that in the marketplace, monsters waited. The market was supposed to be deserted! There were supposed to be Redead crawling all over the place! These revelations hit me and all I could do was blink stupidly.

_Aha! _I thought triumphantly once I had regained some of my senses. This proves that my dreams were just that, only dreams. I smiled grimly to myself as I navigated Link around the energy-sucking monsters slumped before me. I hated this part.

But though I found the final proof that my dreams couldn't possibly be anything more, despite the fact that they were so realistic, I couldn't help but feel sad. I had wished that it could've been real, that I really was talking to Link. And I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever dream of Hyrule so vividly again.

But perhaps it was better this way. I found it difficult to grasp the idea that I could be living two lives at once, essentially. Would I have ever gotten any rest if I was still conscious in my sleep?

It all added up now. Link had informed me that it had been a week between my appearances, when it was really just a day. Of course he would say that! My mind had probably slacked on a few details and had just made him say a random amount of time. And the marketplace had been really big, I remembered. And dreams _did_ have a way of messing up proportions.

I nodded silently, still mindlessly playing the video game. Video game Link was running around Hyrule Field now. Navi was annoyingly shouting "Hey!" all the time…

Navi! There hadn't been a Navi with Link in my dreams. Another loophole. I smiled. Things were beginning to make sense. I laughed at myself for ever believing that it could've been real. I wondered what other details were awry in my dreams. Probably a lot.

Still smiling, I went downstairs to get an apple to munch on. I felt a lot better now that I was ninety-nine percent sure that I had been tricked by my own mind into thinking that dreams could be real. I had just fished an apple out of the refrigerator when I heard the garage door opening. Without thinking, I slipped the apple into the oversized pocket on my jacket.

My mom noticed that I was in a particularly good mood as she came in the house. I was still grinning as I greeted her and felt good enough to even skip a few steps. My mind felt so freed of such a burden.

"I have even better news for you, Jay," she said softly as soon as I had calmed down a little.

"What is it?" I asked, slightly out of breath from bouncing around so much.

"Your father got offered a job in Massachusetts today," my mom told me. "He's going to accept. So, what do you want for dinner?"

"M-Massachusetts?!" I exclaimed, completely ignoring her question. Massachusetts was so far away! We lived in the suburbs of Atlanta; Massachusetts was basically an entire world away. "Does that mean we're moving?"

"No, no," my mom reassured, seeing my scared expression. "We're staying right where we are. Your father is going to move up there and find a house."

"But we'll never see him!" I protested. I hardly saw my father even now, when he lived in the same house. How would I see him if he was hundreds of miles away?

"He'll come and visit us," my mom said quietly.

"How often?" I demanded. "Just visiting isn't going to be the same as living with us!"

For the first time, I noticed that my mom was seriously troubled.

"What's wrong, mom?" I asked, softer this time.

"Well, Jay, your father and I just thought that it would be better if we…separated for a while."

"Oh."

My happiness vanished. I thought my parents were happily married. They never fought, never yelled, never even got annoyed at each other. They were always polite and courteous. And yet, they had never acted as if they were in love. They just acted liked passive friends living together for the rest of their lives.

Numbly, I climbed the stairs to my room. I barely heard my mom as she tried to explain that everything was fine—she just needed a break. A break. I scoffed, ignoring the tears that had started to gather in my eyes. I didn't even know why I was crying. Maybe life would be simpler with only one parent.

I climbed into bed and hid under the covers, closing my eyes. I felt the large lump on my side and remembered I still hadn't taken out the apple. I ignored it. I had only meant to rest for a while since it was only 8:00 PM and I hadn't even done my homework yet. But before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

And the dreams returned to haunt me.


	7. Chapter 6

**Link is NOT mine. And neither are all those other places and things you recognize from The Legend of Zelda.**

**You get some adventure in this one. :D**

**Chapter 6**

Something was shaking my shoulder gently. Something much like a hand.

"Mom…" I murmured. "Just five more minutes, please." I made a few efforts to bat away the hand. My fingers touched leather.

I shot up and found myself face to face to the one person I never thought I would ever see again.

"Jay, what's wrong?" Link asked. A sinking feeling returned to my stomach. More dreams. I paused before answering him, taking a chance to soak in my surroundings. We were on the shores of Lake Hylia. Judging from the sun's position, it was late afternoon. The lake's waters were dyed the color of the sky—pink, orange, and purple.

"Nothing's wrong," I finally answered. I didn't meet his eyes.

"Then why are you crying?"

My hand flew up to my eyes, feeling moisture. Angrily, I wiped off the tears staining my cheeks. His blue eyes followed my every moment. In them, I could see that he was genuinely curious.

"It's nothing. You won't want to hear it." Why was I still having a normal conversation with this figment of my imagination?

"I would still like to know," he said gently.

"Why don't you just ask my brain to tell you directly?" I demanded, with a bit more force than I intended.

"That makes no—oh, wait. You still think this is a dream, don't you?" He started to smile.

"No, not anymore. I _know_ that this is just a dream." I said confidently, then added smugly, "And I've got proof."

"Really now? I'd like to hear your…proof."

I ignored his skeptical tone. "Well, first off, there are no Redead in the market. Everything's supposed to be evil now, right? I mean, Ganondorf tricked you and got his hands on the Triforce, so everything is supposed to be all screwed up and bad."

"…What?"

I shot him a disbelieving look. "I mean…look! We're sitting next to a perfect example right here. The lake's waters are supposed to be gone! That's how it is in the game."

"You still think this is a game?"

"No-o-o," I dragged the word, placing as much emphasis on it as I could. "This is all just a way of my mind torturing me. It's giving me something to puzzle over. I guess this is its way of amusement."

"You have a masochistic mind," he pointed out, grinning.

"Hey!" I shoved him, meaning to hurt him, but he didn't budge an inch. My wrist, however, was throbbing slightly.

"Nice try." He winked. I nearly slapped my forehead in frustration.

"Hey, what's in your pocket?" he asked, after he realized I wasn't going to talk.

"My…pocket?" I looked down and, to my horror, there was a large lump—large enough to be…an apple. My hand dove down and snatched up the terrible thing. It was red and shiny, just like any other apple would be. I never did get around to eating it, did I? And now, here it was, in my dreams with me.

"What is _that_?" Link asked, staring at the innocent piece of fruit in my hand.

"It's an apple…" I stared at him. "Don't tell me there aren't any around here!"

"Heh, never seen one before. What do you do with it?"

"You eat it!"

"Woah…weird."

"I think you're the weird one here. But…you're just a part of my mind, so I guess I'm the weird one. This is all getting so confusing."

"Hmm, yeah it is." He paused. "You disappeared last time again. And I was still holding on to your hand, too. I thought maybe that would keep you here."

My heart melted at his words. Why should I care if this was only a dream? It was a nice dream, so I might as well enjoy it. I realized guiltily that I was being too harsh towards Link. I mean, what had he ever done to me?

I smiled at him. "I don't think I have any control over when I leave either. It just…happens. There's no warning or anything."

He grinned. "So basically, I can annoy you as much as I want, and you can't leave?"

"Um, yeah, I guess you could." I grimaced. Then, suddenly getting an inspiration, I asked him, "Hey, do you want to keep this apple?"

He eyed it warily.

"I promise it's not going to hurt you. Unless you're allergic."

"Don't you want to eat it?" he asked, still staring at the apple.

"Nah, I have plenty back home. It's not like they're rare. Besides, when I wake up back in my world, and the apple is still with me, I'll definitely know that this is all just fake."

"Heh, prepare to be proved wrong by yourself," he said as he took the apple from my hand. "How about I give you something in return? Something that you couldn't find back in…your world."

I grinned triumphantly. "Go ahead."

He reached into a small pouch on his belt and pulled out a small Deku seed. "Will this suffice?" he asked, smiling warmly.

"Sure," I said, as I took it out of his hand and put it in my pocket.

"What happens when you find out that this is all real?" he asked me.

"I—I doubt that's the case."

"I'm just saying, what if?"

"Well…I really don't know," I answered honestly. I paused. "Oh yeah, how long has it been since you last saw me?"

"You mean since you disappeared on me again?" he asked with a wry smile. I nodded. He quickly answered. "It was only two days this time."

"_What?!_" I yelled. "Last time it was only one day for me, and it was a _week _for you! This time, it's been _four_ days for me, and it's only been _two_ for you?!"

"I—I guess so," he said. He edged away from me a little, his eyes wide at my sudden outburst.

"You know what?" I asked, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm not going to even worry about it." I forced a calm smile onto my face.

"Well, since you're not worried about all this weird time thing anymore, you want to pick up where we left off last time?"

"You're gonna show me Hyrule?"

"Yup!" he said excitedly. "What do you want to see first?"

"Umm, well, I've already seen Lake Hylia now," I said as I gestured toward the lake. The sun was setting quickly now and the waters looked dark. "It's getting kind of late, don't you think?"

Link glanced over at the sky. "Yeah, but I think we can avoid trouble." He grinned dangerously.

"Correction. _You _can avoid trouble, while _I _will probably get killed."

"Nah, you look like you can defend yourself," he said earnestly.

"Oh boy…" I muttered. Wait until this guy sees me with a sword in my hand.

"Let's go!" he said eagerly, hopping up. I got up more slowly and followed him out of Lake Hylia's grounds.

Hyrule at night, for it _was_ night now, was intimidating. I followed Link closely, lest some unseen monster pop out of the ground.

"So Link," I began. My voice sounded too loud. "Where are all the monsters? Aren't you supposed to be a hero or something?"

"Another part of your game, eh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I nodded. He tsk-ed. "Well, there _are_ monsters, but they're generally not around here. Zelda sends me on missions occasionally, when some bad things get out of hand. Once I take care of them, she pays me a couple hundred rupees. It's a pretty good living."

"But a dangerous one," I added. "Isn't there a Ganondorf though?"

"Bah! That old fool has been dead for quite a while. He _is_ mortal, you know."

"What?!" I sputtered. "Ganondorf's _gone?!_"

Link halted in his steps. We were approaching Lon Lon Ranch now. "Of course he's dead. The Goddesses were successful when they sealed him in another realm. That game of yours is a bit inaccurate."

"I guess so…" I muttered, disappointed. I had expected there to be more adventure in my dreams.

"Why were you crying when you got here?" he asked me, suddenly changing the topic.

I sighed. "My parents are separating…"

"Oh," Link said simply. He nodded. I remember with a pang that he didn't even _have_ any parents any more. My situation was a lot better than his.

"Hey, you want to visit the Gorons?" he asked me abruptly.

"Oh, err, sure. Why not?" My brain had a few issues changing gears so quickly.

We changed direction slightly and approached Kakariko Village. Walking around in my dream took a lot longer than walking around in the game. It must've been at least an hour until we reached the steps.

Suddenly, with a violent growl, a Stalchild emerged from the ground and began to prowl toward us.

"What the—" Link exclaimed as he launched himself in front of me, sword drawn. With a quick slice, he injured the monster. It kept advancing though, and Link motioned for me to climb the steps into the village.

Three more monsters soon appeared, and I wasn't making much progress up the steps. I was too entranced by the fight before me. The Stalchildren were a lot stronger than they were in the game. Link was having trouble dealing with all of them.

Without thinking, I picked up a rock and hurled it at the closest creature. With a sickening crunch, it turned its head towards me. It began to advance.

"Oh, snap," I said, as I tried to climb the stairs backwards. I tripped, though, as my foot wearing only a sock caught on a protruding piece of rock. I felt the rock's sharp edge make a small slice in my heel. The Stalchild was almost upon me now, hand raised for the deathblow.

Suddenly, a sword tip emerged from its ribs and it let out a bloodcurdling screech. I covered my ears as it collapsed on the ground before me. Link stood behind the corpse, sword still extended. He was covered with dirt.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly as I got up, still dazed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's not everyday that I get attacked by a bunch of skeleton monsters, though." I brushed off my pants and inspected the cut on my foot. It wasn't deep, so I didn't worry about it.

"That was…really…_bad_," Link said, as he gazed at the broken bodies of the monsters.

"Why? It happens all the time, doesn't it?" I asked, completely oblivious to his source of worry.

He turned towards me, piercing me with his blue eyes. "Never."

"N-Never?" I stammered. "But in the game…"

"Exactly! In the _game_!" he said, throwing up with hands. "It's almost like my world is turning into your game world." He shook his head at his own statement.

I stared dumbly at him. "That's impossible," I said finally. I found it harder and harder to convince myself this was just a dream. At least I would have enough proof when I woke up.

"This is really bad," Link murmured, as if I wasn't there. "I have to inform Zelda about this. What if there are more monsters out there somewhere? Everyone is in danger!"

I stood there, watching Link as he paced back and forth. "Hey Link," I said randomly. I was desperate to distract him. "Do you have a horse?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure I do. I keep her with Malon though. I prefer to walk most of the time."

"What's her name?"

"Epona."

"Oh… That's the same as the game."

"Will you _stop_ comparing this to your game?!" he burst out. "It's _not_ the same!"

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. The appearance of the monsters had clearly unnerved him.

He ignored me and continued to pace. Suddenly, he turned around and said, "Come on. We're going to see Zelda."

"Wait, wha—?" I jumped off the stairs and hurried after Link. He was already a few feet in front of me. "Isn't the drawbridge closed at night?"

"The guard inside will open it for us. He knows my voice," Link assured confidently.

After about half an hour, we reached the gates of the marketplace. Link picked up a rock and threw it at the wooden structure.

"Rydo!" Link called. "Open up! It's Link!"

There was no answer, but with a loud clank, the drawbridge began to open slowly. Link looked slightly perturbed.

"He always responds," he muttered.

The drawbridge opened completely, but I couldn't see anything beyond it. I was about to take a step forward, but Link stopped me. He hissed into the abyss that was supposed to be the market.

A human-like shape began to walk out toward us. Its walk was uneven though, as if it were lurching up each of its legs in order to move.

Link crouched down, waiting for the shape to come into the moonlight. When it did, I screamed.

The shape was _not_ a guard, although it was still wearing part of armor and carrying a spear. Its limbs were shriveled and decayed. I couldn't see its face clearly, but I didn't want to. This was a Redead.

It screeched at us, the shriek sending chills up and down my spine. I was paralyzed with fear. Link had gotten up and was advancing slowly with his sword out. The Redead appeared to sense him and turned to face Link. I tried to choke out a warning, but could not.

With a sudden pounce, the Redead hurled itself at Link with more speed than I would've expected from such a rotten thing. I tried to scream again, but I couldn't. With a flash of his sword, however, Link stopped the thing in midair. It crumpled to the ground a few feet away from me. It was still alive though. As it turned its head slowly, the face caught the moonlight. This time, my fear overcame my immobilization and a choked cry tore from my lips.

The face was hideous, the mouth permanently stretched into a grin. The teeth were black and rotten, though they were covered with a red substance. There were no eyes, just hollows covered with brown, flaking skin. The helmet it wore covered the region of the face that was supposed to have a nose.

I stumbled backwards, free to move now, although my legs twitched and did not listen to my mind.

Link ran toward the Redead and jammed his sword into its throat. Its hands reached up, clawing at air. One of them found its mark. It latched on to Link's sword arm and tried to drag Link down. I was crawling on the ground, trying desperately to help.

The Redead opened its mouth, as if expecting to feed on its prey soon. A rush of foul air reached my nostrils and I covered my nose, gagging. I could only imagine how bad the smell would've been for Link, since I was about ten feet away from them.

Link seemed to find some source of hidden strength and wrench his arm and sword free of the monster. He grunted slightly as he stumbled backwards onto the drawbridge.

"Fire, Link!" I screamed as the thing rose from the ground again. Although it had suffered from a wound that should've killed any living thing, it was still able to move.

Link reached into his pouch at his belt and pulled out a small crystal. It glowed slightly. With a cry, he raised his fist and fire suddenly appeared in his hands. I watched, amazed, as the fire did not burn him.

Instead, Link seemed to be in control of the fire, aiming it at the Redead stumbling toward him. The flames lanced out at the monster, engulfing it. It thrashed around, screaming loud enough to wake an entire city. I closed my eyes and jammed my fingers in my ears. The scream echoed in my ears long after it stopped.

Opening my eyes, I saw that the Redead had been reduced to a pile of ashes. Link crouched on the ground a few feet away, panting loudly.

Dizzily, I made my way over to him. The smell of burnt flesh stung my nose and throat, making it hard to breathe. Smoke drifted lazily in the air.

"L-Link…" I choked out. "Are you hurt?"

He looked up at me, and his eyes, usually so alert, were blank and staring. They seemed to shine brightly, as if they were filled with unshed tears. Letting his head fall down again, he uttered a bitter curse.

"What is happening to Hyrule?" he demanded quietly, his voice slightly unsteady. "Where are all these monsters coming from?"

"I-I don't know, Link," I said, struggling not to cry. A part of my mind told me that this was all my fault. By bringing in ideas of evil from the video game, this Hyrule that Link lived in was becoming infected.

"Let's get away from here," Link said, as he got up slowly from the ground. "It's not safe."

To my shame, my legs were shaking as I tried to walk. Link glanced over and his features softened.

"Here," he muttered and he placed my arm over his shoulders. He supported some of my body weight as we began to walk. I tried to protest, but had to accept that I wouldn't be able to move very well on my own.

"Where are we going now?" I asked as soon as we were far enough from the stench of the Redead.

"We're going to Lon Lon Ranch to spend the rest of the night," Link responded. "We need shelter where those _things_ can't get to us."

"Oh." I didn't want to mention the possibility that Ingo might be evil now. My socks were getting wet from the grass and my feet were rather cold, but I didn't care. I was still pretty shaken.

"I don't get it!" Link exclaimed after a while. "_Where_ did all these monsters come from? It's like they just decided to appear in one day! It's almost like _I'm _dreaming now."

"I'm sorry, Link," I whispered.

"What?" he asked, confused. "Why are you apologizing?"

"You were right when you said that your world was turning into my game world. And I can't help but feel that somehow, this is my fault. It's like I brought all these monsters since I keep talking about the game. And now this place is...bad."

"Tell me what happens in the game," Link said softly.

"I'm not sure you want to know," I protested.

"I would like to have some sort of mental preparation," he persisted.

I took a deep breath. "I don't think it's a good idea to go to Lon Lon Ranch."

"Why not? Malon will help us. I know she will. Don't tell me _she_ turned evil too!"

"No, no!" I said, scared at the sadness tearing through his voice. "It's not her. It's Ingo."

Link stopped. He turned to me with eyes that looked so lost. "This has always been my home, Jay," he said quietly. "Even though you don't believe me when I say this is real, to me, it is. And now, I'm learning that there's evil everywhere. It's a bit of a shock."

"I won't tell you the rest then."

"How bad can it be?"

I braced myself. "Ganondorf is back."

"_What?_" Link exclaimed. He let go of me. Thankfully, my legs could support me now. "That's impossible! The goddesses—he—he's trapped in time! He can't get out!"

I shook my head. "He has. It's the only explanation for all this. I know it still doesn't make much sense, but it's almost as if your world and the game world are mixing. And I'm just acting as the catalyst."

My mind had ceased to think this was all a dream. A dream could never be this real. A dream could never make me feel this way. And a dream could never be so physical. The smell of burning flesh, the feel of the soft grass under my feet, the heat emanating from Link's body, and the taste of failure. It was all too real.

"What did you use to kill the…thing back there?" I asked when he didn't respond to what I was saying. Perhaps he agreed with me.

"Din's Fire."

I blinked in surprise. "Oh. I thought that needed magic."

"Nope. I just use a little capsule every time. And then when I run out, I go back to the Great Fairy. Do you want one?"

"N-No," I stammered, startled by his sudden offer. "I'd probably set the house on fire if I tried to used it." Link nodded silently.

"You've been here for a long time," he said after a pause. "Almost twelve hours in fact."

"I should probably leave then," I said with a grimace. Link smiled weakly at my pathetic attempt at a joke.

All of a sudden, things began to happen to quickly. First, everything around me began to blur, and I recognized the signs of me leaving. Second, a Stalchild emerged from the ground. Link didn't notice this second event though; he was too busy staring at my disappearing form.

I tried to yell at him, to warn him, but I couldn't even hear my own voice.

The last thing I saw was the Stalchild advancing on Link as he slowly turned around to face it. He didn't have enough time to react.


	8. Chapter 7

**I wish Link was my own creation. This chapter was hard to write. I'm in a foul mood. Review please?**

**Chapter 7**

The apple was gone in the morning. That much was obvious. I got out of bed, hardly daring to breathe. My heart was hammering away as I slowly reached into my pocket. At first I thought it was empty, but then I found it; it was just a small, hard lump like a pebble, but no pebble could look like this. The Deku seed was golden-yellow and reflected the feeble rays of the morning sun.

I squeezed my eyes shut, part of me thinking that maybe I hadn't woken up yet, but I had. I pinched myself on the arm, just to make sure. Yep, it hurt.

I looked down at my feet. I only had one sock on and it was covered with grass stains. I kicked it off and looked at my heel. There was a scratch.

I couldn't hold back the panic any longer. What did this all mean? How could my dreams possibly be real? How would _Link_ possibly be real? How was it that a _game_ could come to life?!

I paced furiously in my room. This denied all the rules of logic. It questioned the very world I called my own! What was reality now? What if my world was something that could appear in someone's dreams? There could be a million worlds that I didn't know of!

And I worried about Link. What happened to him after I was taken away from him? Did he have enough time to react?! Concern gnawed away at my insides.

A headache threatened to consume me.

Out of nervousness, I began to prepare a pack of things I thought I would need the next time I visited Hyrule. I mentally grimaced. It was almost as if Hyrule was just another ordinary place on Earth that anyone could go to for a vacation or something. But this wasn't a vacation. I thought back to the events of my last trip and shivered. So many details that I wanted to forget…but they were ingrained in my memory forever.

Picking up an old book bag of mine, I packed a pair of sturdy tennis shoes, since socks weren't the best for hard travel. I decided to throw in a few extra articles of clothing, in case I got wet or dirty. I decided to bring a few items that Link might find interesting, like a simple pencil. Thinking carefully about what I wanted most in Hyrule, I packed a watch. I still hadn't figured out how time was warped between Hyrule and my world. If a few days here could equal any amount of time there, what happened to time when I was there in my dreams?

I decided to pack an emergency food supply just in case I got hungry. Who knew what they ate in Hyrule? I also stuck in my fencing glove and jacket. If danger was a possibility at every turn, it was best to be prepared. I hesitated, wondering if should bring an epée, but I decided I wouldn't be able to do much with it anyways.

I added a few more nonessentials to the already bulging book bag. Satisfied, I placed the bag next to my bed. I planned on tying it to my arm every night before I went to sleep.

My preparations were in vain though. The dreams did not return to me for a while. Every night, I went to bed tense and waiting. But it was all for nothing. October was quickly drawing to an end. Kelly began to remind me of my Halloween promise. I desperately tried to get out of it. I gave her every excuse I could think of—too much homework, headaches, anything—but she didn't take no for an answer. I realized the only way she'd let me get out of it was if I was violently ill.

Around the house, there were signs of my dad leaving. Cardboard boxes were placed seemingly randomly throughout the rooms, but each day, more and more of my dad's stuff went missing. I tried to ignore it.

My mom was distracted, claiming that it was just stress from teaching. I knew that my father's soon-to-come departure was bothering her, though, even though she wouldn't admit it.

My study habits began to fall apart. Grades that I had once worked hard to keep were slipping. And I, quite frankly, didn't care.

Halloween had to come though, no matter how hard I tried to deny its existence. I had always given Kelly vague hints that I really didn't want to go trick-or-treating, but she seemed to know that I was trying to ditch on her.

I tried to fix up an old pirate costume from a few years ago. It was a bit small, but I figured that with a little bit of squeezing, I'd be able to wear it.

Halloween came, and I waited for Kelly to show up at my doorstep. At exactly 6:30, the doorbell rang. I walked over slowly, grabbing my pillowcase for collecting candy. I opened the door, but it wasn't Kelly.

It was some kid I faintly recognized from my school. Of course, he had about ten friends with him. I didn't usually talk to them; they were always those loud, mocking boys that laughed at everyone. That wasn't the worst part though. The boy I recognized was dressed as Link. It was obvious that he didn't really care about the costume, just the candy.

It was sickening for me after seeing the real Link. His costume looked as if he had cut a green pillowcase and draped it over his head. He was wearing tennis shoes with brown socks. His sword was, of course, plastic. His hat was made of computer paper hastily colored with green marker.

He grinned at me. "Trick or treat."

I grabbed a handful of assorted candy and stuffed it angrily into his waiting pillowcase. I slammed the door, ignoring his friends.

"What a bitch!" they called loudly. They rang the doorbell a few more times, but I didn't acknowledge it. I closed my eyes, breathing heavily. I felt sick. The doorbell rang again and I turned to open the door, knowing it was Kelly.

And indeed there she was, hopping eagerly. One look at my face, though, and she stood still.

"Jay, what's wrong?" she asked, her eyes full of concern. "You're as pale as a ghost! Or is that part of your costume?"

I was rather suprised. "I guess I'm not feeling too well."

"I guess you can't go trick-or-treating, then…"

I shook my head. "Not tonight. I'm sorry."

"No, no! It's fine! I asked Jamie to come with us, so I'll still have someone to go with! Don't feel bad. Just rest, okay?"

"'Kay. Thanks Kelly." I smiled weakly, acting the part. I was glad she'd called another buddy.

"See you at school tomorrow, Jay. If you're feeling good enough, that is." She bounded across my front yard with a small wave.

Sighing, I dumped the bag of candy outside. I didn't feel like opening the door for the next few hours.

That wasn't the worst night.

Hallucination-like dreams began plaguing me. I wasn't sure if I was even asleep for much of the nights. I saw shadows and Redead everywhere. I was sure I was going crazy. I still tied the bag to my arm each night, but it was more out of habit now, not hope.

November drifted lazily by. Dark circles were constantly under my eyes now. I hardly ever talked in class, but teachers insisted on calling on me more. I never knew the answer.

With my dad gone now, my mom was busier than ever taking care of the house. I personally thought she just invented more chores for herself, since she never had so much to do before. She didn't notice my lack of speech. I didn't care.

I was drowning in reality. I longed to go back to Hyrule, to immerse myself in seemingly fantastic happenings. I didn't care that I had been in serious danger last time. Normal life just wasn't good enough for me now.

And most of all, I longed to see _him_ again. To hear him speak to me, saying my name with more care than anyone else could ever manage. With him, I could be myself without being judged.

No matter how much I cried and yelled at night though, the dreams would not return. It was as if Hyrule had shunned me from its realms. A gate linking it to my world had been shut, and I couldn't find the way to open it again.

Kelly still asked me if I had any weird dreams at night, but I always told her no. I didn't think it would be right to tell her and betray Link and his life. I just listened contently to her chattering about a certain adventure she had dreamed about the night before. I was thankful for someone to distract me.

I updated my "Dreams" document on my computer constantly, even though I hadn't had any real ones in a while. I would go back and read over the other times I had talked with Link, reliving the moments. I was sick. And no medicine could ever cure me.

Sometimes I questioned my own sanity. Had Link _really_ been real? But then I would just look at the Deku seed (I still had it, of course) and be reassured.

But finally on a rainy Monday night at the beginning of December, after more than one month of waiting, the dreams came back.


	9. Chapter 8

**Hm, it's been a while, hasn't it? Got some parental problems over here. –sigh- No fear! Here's that next chapter.**

**Of course, Link doesn't belong to me.**

**Chapter 8**

I took one look around me, and I collapsed in glee and relief. The dreams had not deserted me! I smiled broadly as I sat myself down on Link's bed. I was in his house again, and my pack was with me. I untied it from me arm, rubbing my sore wrist.

I couldn't stop smiling as I bounced up and down. I was finally back! After all these weeks of waiting, I was _finally_ here again.

The ending of the last dream crashed down on me suddenly. It had been so long, I had begun to forget. What had happened to Link after I left? Did he have enough time to react? Worry suddenly attacked me with full force.

I wanted anxiously for his arrival. What if he didn't come back the entire time I was here? What if he _couldn't _come back? My heart stopped beating for a moment at the terrible thoughts. Now that I knew this was real, I knew I had to take charge of things. Unlike a dream, events here happened based on actions and reactions.

I got out my fencing gloves and tennis shoes and put them on. No sense in going out unprotected, I thought. I slung my book bag over my shoulder and headed for the curtain door. I half-expected to see Link on the other side, but he wasn't there. Perturbed, I made my way slowly down the ladder. It was nighttime here and Kokiri Forest was eerily quiet. I could hardly see anything without any light.

Stumbling along, I had no idea where I was trying to go. I had expected to find Link easily. The thought occurred to me that he might not even be in Kokiri Forest. Panicking slightly, I traced my steps back to his tree house. Perhaps if I sat here long enough, he would come back and find me. I made myself comfortable in the grass.

Minutes passed and still no sign of Link appeared. I was close to panicking.

Just as I was about to get up and go search for him again, I heard footsteps. I hesitated for a moment, thinking that maybe I should hide, but I didn't. A green cap came into view and I relaxed. He was finally here.

"Hey!" I said, perhaps a bit too loudly. Link jerked and drew his sword swiftly. I blinked in surprise at his tense reaction.

"Oh! Jay!" he said, relief coloring his voice as he sheathed his sword again. "I thought it was a monster. It's really good to see you again." He smiled kindly.

"What happened last time?" I asked—the words rushed out of my mouth.

"You mean with the Stalchild right behind me?" he said, mouth curling into a dry smile. "I knew it was there. Don't worry. I annihilated it."

His tone concerned me. He sounded so aloof and careless, as if he had dealt with much worse after I left.

He walked over to me and motioned for me to go back up into his tree house. "It's not safe out here," he explained.

I climbed the ladder again and slipped into the warm room, holding up the curtain long enough for Link to enter. As soon as he did, he closed it and secured it tightly. Puzzled, I watched his movements carefully. He picked up a wooden table and placed it directly in front of the doorway. Turning, he beckoned me to sit down.

From the moonlight coming in from the window, I could see that Link was very tired. His eyes drooped and he walked with a slight limp. His tunic was muddied and worn.

I gasped. "Link, what's wrong?"

He forced a tired smile onto his face. Then he sagged and a part of him seemed to die. "Hyrule…the Hyrule that I know, at least, is gone."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Monsters," he said simply. "Monsters everywhere. Everyone is stuck inside their houses, unable to go into the market unless they have a death wish."

Tears sprang into my eyes. Was this all my fault?

"Oh, Link…" I couldn't think of anything to say to comfort him. I shook my head. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's not like this is your fault." His words hit me where it hurt most. He didn't seem to believe what he was saying. He knew it was I who caused this. I knew he knew.

Suddenly, the most foolish idea came into my mind. It was so stupid that I actually believed it would work.

"Link," I said formally. "I will help you save Hyrule."

Link stared at me. "You…will help…me?" He shook his head harshly. "No, no. It's way too dangerous for you."

"I have to! Otherwise, I'll have this resting on my conscience for the rest of my life! This isn't a dream to me anymore!"

"It's not?" he asked me slowly. I could see him beginning to perk up. A fierce determined glow came into his eyes. "You have spirit."

A dry laugh emerged from him. "Yes, I think it will work," he said, almost to himself. "You know all about these monsters; you know more than me. If I do what you tell me to, everything will be all right!"

He leaped over to me and smothered me in a rib-breaking hug.

"Ow…" I muttered, rubbing my shoulders.

"Oops, sorry," he said sheepishly. He was grinning, though, and I couldn't help but grin back at him. He actually believed that I could help him. Suddenly, I had confidence in myself too.

"We have to plan," he reminded me. "If we're going to take out all those monsters, we need a good, solid strategy that will work."

He pulled over a few stools made from tree stumps and set them up next to the bed. As soon as we were settled, I asked the usual first question that popped into my head.

"How long was it this time?"

He understood me completely. "It was about three weeks this time."

"I see. One and a half months for me."

He let out a low whistle. "That's a pretty long time."

"Yeah, it was. I was furious. I had to tell you that I accepted this to be real!"

He nodded understandingly. "But now you're here, and we can finally talk." He paused as I sat silently. "I had time to go see Zelda."

"Through the market?!" I demanded, horrified.

"Yes, through the market." His eyes gazed out the window and he seemed to be reliving memories that he wanted to forget.

"Was Zelda there?" I asked, eager to know the answer.

Link squeezed his eyes shut. And shook his head. His voice was anguished and torn when he spoke. "All I found was this instrument and a few pieces of music with her notes scribbled on them. That was it. No Zelda, no guards. The castle was completely deserted."

As he said "instrument," he held out the Ocarina of Time. I stared at it intently, reaching out a finger to trace over its smooth surface. So the legend had begun.

"Link," I said, wanting to shake him out of his depressed mood. "I'm not sure how much help I will be to you. I know about the monsters, that's true, but this isn't exactly like the game I play either."

He looked at me with such a kindness in his eyes I nearly melted. "You will do just fine," he whispered gently.

And with that, we turned to our plans. Thankfully, I brought some paper and pencils with me in my book bag, so we had something to jot down our notes on. Link was, as I predicted, amazed by both items. His amazement doubled when I showed him the watch. I had brought it to keep track of time.

He couldn't stop staring at it and jumping slightly when it made beeping noises. "Amazing…" he muttered, as he watched the digital numbers change constantly. I, too, kept an eye on the watch. Time seemed to go by normally. It was currently 1:30 AM back in my world according to my watch.

How could I be sure though? I had absolutely no idea. I pushed the matter from my mind as Link began to tell me where and how many monsters there were.

The hours passed quickly as we exchanged our opinions and knowledge on monsters. I told Link everything I had to do in the game, and he informed me that there was no such thing as temples. I was sure he was wrong, but I didn't want to argue with him.

I told him all I knew about Ganondorf and how to beat him. Sometimes, something I would say would strike Link as absolutely absurd, but when I insisted, he squeezed his eyes shut and nodded painfully. I didn't want to have to be so brutally honest with him, but I knew it was the only way.

"This isn't exactly like the game," I admitted after he told me he had no idea who Ruto, Darunia, or Saria were.

Link nodded. "I'm kind of glad. The game sounds a bit tedious."

"I guess it does once you apply it to real life. Some things just aren't possible. But I do know that you must defeat Ganondorf, or else Hyrule will continue to be this way."

"I don't even know where to find him!" Link said, exasperated.

"Oh yeah…He's not in the castle," I muttered. "This is going to be hard. You have to learn some ocarina songs; they're important."

"I figured as much. How am I supposed to find songs to play though?"

"Talk to everyone you see and investigate everything that looks different. It's the only way I can think of."

Link winced. "Alright, enough talking for now. Do you want some tea?" He got up and stretched, yawning widely. I glanced at my watch. It was 3:30 AM now.

"Sure, tea sounds fine to me." I was eager for a break too.

Link walked over to the fireplace stove and poured some water from a jar into the pot. He lit up the fire and came back to sit down. He sighed deeply.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked. I realized that although my physical body back in my world was resting, Link was not.

"Nah, I'm fine," he said. "I've been sleeping a lot during the days, when the monsters aren't as active."

"Turning a bit nocturnal now, aren't we?" I asked teasingly. He grinned.

"Besides, I like the night. Minus the monsters and stuff, it's actually quite peaceful." He turned his head slightly to gaze at the moon.

"Are there monsters in Kokiri Forest?" I asked, slightly scared.

"Not usually," Link assured. "But sometimes, one or two manage to sneak in."

"I hope they can't climb ladders," I laughed nervously. I didn't like the idea of being ambushed in a room that was about 20 feet off the ground.

"Me too," Link agreed.

"But if they do come, I will help you fight," I said, determined. I had no idea what possessed me to offer my help, but I liked the idea.

"It's too dangerous!" Link protested.

I shook my head. "Not if you teach me how to wield a sword. I want to learn. Back in my world, when we fence, I'm the worst. I don't like it."

"I'm guessing fencing is a less violent type of sword fight?" Link asked.

I nodded. "Of a sort."

"Well," Link said after a small pause. "I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to learn how to defend yourself. In fact, I think I have one of my old practice blades. Let me go see."

He went to the other side of the room and opened a small doorway I had not noticed before. Behind it was a storage closet full of, from what I could see, armor and weaponry. Link dug through them and emerged with a thin blade and another Hylian shield.

"Here," he said as he carefully handed to sword to me, hilt first. "I used this blade not so long ago, but then I replaced it with this one. It's sturdy enough for you, I think."

I took the blade and grasped it carefully. It was heavier than I expected. I was going to have to get used to it, though. The metal caught the moonlight and gleamed menacingly.

"Want to have your first lesson today?"

"Now?" I sputtered, slightly taken back. I didn't want to embarrass myself just yet.

"Why not? We've got plenty of time. Come on!" Link beckoned for me to follow him out of the house.

"What about…the tea?" I asked weakly.

"It can wait," Link said matter-of-factly. "You need to be able to protect yourself. It's the most important thing. I may not always be able to rescue you."

"And I may not always want to be rescued," I countered. "I like to be independent." I flashed a wolfish grin at him.

"Oh dear," Link said in mock distress.

Link decided to teach me in front of his house. It was the safest place, he decided. There was plenty of room for me to swing and parry.

I struggled to follow his movements with as much grace as he, but I failed. Link taught me how to fight with a shield on my left arm and how to duck and defend myself, while at the same time managing to injure the enemy. At first, I stumbled a lot and had to throw both sword and shield aside to prevent myself from falling. But as Link taught me more and more techniques, I found my balance and gradually became accustomed to handling a blade.

Link sparred with me for a little while, but it was obvious I was no match for him. He stood still as I lunged at him; he parried my attacks easily. Plus, he was left-handed, making it awkward for me to strike out at him. He assured me that this was a good thing: I would get more practice darting past others' defenses.

After about an hour and a half, when I was dead-tired and sweating, he called a halt.

"I think that's enough for tonight, right?" he asked, barely ruffled.

"Yeah…yeah," I wheezed. I looked pathetic next to him. But I was proud. In such a little time, I was sure I had improved greatly.

"Now, for that tea," Link prompted, gesturing for me to go back up to the house. I wasn't sure if I could make it up the ladder with my shaking limbs.

Surprisingly I did, but the instant I got inside, I collapsed on to the bed. Link chuckled and went over to the fire. It had gone out while we were outside, but the water was still hot. He poured two cups of tea and handed one to me.

I eagerly sipped it. It was delicious—very different from the tea I'd had. There was a slight citrus tinge to each sip, along with a pleasant earthy tone. I loved it. I quickly finished my first cup due to my intense thirst.

Link wordlessly poured me a second. This time, I drank it slowly, savoring it.

"So," I began, between swallows. "When are you going to seek out Ganondorf?"

"I'm not sure. After you leave this time, I suppose." He looked sad.

"Why can't you do it while I'm here?" I asked, curious.

"It's not safe."

"I don't care! I want to come with you! I want to be part of the adventure. All my life, I've longed for something more exciting, and now, here I am, in the midst of a legend. This is the perfect opportunity for me!"

"Do you honestly believe that I would put your life at risk?" Link asked, staring at me.

"No… but… This is something I want! You can't deny me this!" I was whining and I knew it.

"I only agreed to let you fight if monsters came _here_. I never said anything about seeking out Ganondorf with me." He was pretty adamant. But I knew I could persuade him.

"What happens when I appear when you are fighting? You can't get rid of me then," I said smugly.

"Ugh…I hate putting you in danger like this!"

"There must be a reason why I'm here," I said softly. "Everything has a reason."

Link closed his eyes and nodded slowly. Encouraged, I continued.

"The only logical reason I can think of is that I'm here to guide you. Maybe I brought all this evil, maybe I didn't. But it's here now and so am I. I want to help; I _have_ to help. Otherwise, I'll never be satisfied. Besides, my life could use an extra dose of danger."

I wasn't sure my speech made much sense, but I liked what I said. I had meant every word of it.

"You're determined…" Link observed wryly. "I won't try to stop you; I can see that I probably won't be able to change your mind much."

I smiled triumphantly. "You're wise. Whether you approved or not…my asking, that was all just a formality. I would've gone with you no matter what you told me."

Link winced jokingly. "You're going to need more lessons though." He was, of course, referring to our sparring match.

"Of course," I said confidently. "I'd be too scared to help you if I wasn't sure what I would hit every time I swung my sword."

"I will search for Ganondorf soon," Link said abruptly. I shook my head at the sudden change in topic.

"How soon?" I asked. Now that I knew he was going to act, I was worried. I didn't want him to get hurt. But the hero never got hurt, right? I didn't believe that.

"As soon as I have enough information about his whereabouts," Link told me.

"Be careful," I warned. "He isn't stupid—he isn't going to just fight you out in the open. He'll lure you into a trap, where his powers are the greatest. You have to be wary of everything and everyone."

"I know," Link whispered solemnly. "Perhaps some of my friends even?"

"Perhaps even them," I said. While talking, I looked once again at my watch. It was 6:00 already. Time had raced by so quickly.

"Link," I said quietly. "I think it's almost time for me to go now."

"I thought you had no control over when you left," he said, astonished.

"I don't, but looking at my watch, it's almost time for me to wake up and go to school," I explained.

"What do you do in school?" Link asked. I was taken aback.

"W-Well, we learn things like math, science, history, and all that other jazz. And we get graded based on our tests and other performance assessments, like labs. It's pretty stressful."

"Uh-_huh­_." He didn't sound like he comprehended much of what I just thrown at him. "How old are you anyways, Jay?"

"Huh? Me? Oh, I'm almost seventeen. My birthday is in February. Er, a few months from now," I added, in case he didn't know what February was.

"Oh! I'm seventeen right now, almost eighteen. So we're almost the same age. I guess it's more reasonable now…for you to, you know, help me."

"How old did you _think_ I was?" I demanded, not completely serious.

"Um, about…fourteen?" he offered meekly.

"_Fourteen_?!" I demanded.

"You're a bit…small," he gestured with his hand.

"I'm five foot four!" I protested.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. It's just that, I'm not exceedingly short…" I trailed off weakly.

"No, no. I don't mean in height. It's just that, you seem very slight, like a wind could knock you over."

"Oh, thanks!" I was mollified.

"Thanks?"

"I'm choosing to take your comment as a compliment." I paused. "Link, after I leave this time, will you continue planning? And then, when I return, you can tell me the plan and I'll be all caught up. I think it will take less time then."

"Sure," Link promised. "I'll try, but without you telling me about those monsters and your game, my plans may be a little inaccurate."

"That's alright. As long as we have a basic idea, I think we'll be fine." I remembered that I couldn't find him this time at first. "Link, will you leave me a note in this room telling me where you went? That way, I'll always be able to find you."

"That's a good idea," Link agreed. "I'll be sure to remember."

"Thanks," I smiled, grateful. I tapped my foot gently; I had a feeling I would be leaving any moment now. 6:29 AM. My alarm was set to 6:45.

Things began to fade suddenly. I was used to the sensation by now, so I wasn't startled. I simply looked up at Link's translucent face and smiled.

Link stared at me, surprised. "Goodbye, Jay," he said hurriedly as soon as the situation became clear to him.

"Goodbye, Link," I said back to him. I wasn't sure he heard me.


	10. Chapter 9

**-coughs- I'm not dead! Of course I'm not. I just haven't updated in the past… month or so. Yeah, so somehow, between all the tests, projects, and impending doom (AKA my AP exam!!!!) I've managed to scrape up this thing. It was getting a little long, hence the slight cliffhanger. **

**Chapter 9**

I woke up almost instantly, I think. The watch confirmed my thoughts. It was only 6:31 AM. So time when I was dreaming was the same as time in my world—an idea that was completely and utterly confusing since time when I wasn't dreaming was totally different.

How would I ever figure things out? I didn't think I would.

Winter break soon arrived, and I began to have more and more dreams. Each time, Link would tell me news and teach me more sword fighting techniques. I couldn't wait until break was over and I could test my new abilities.

The situation in Hyrule wasn't good. Each new dawn brought more and more monsters, and Link was looking more and more hopeless. Sometimes, he took me along with him and let me defeat a few enemies, but those times were rare.

Times between our two worlds were just about matched up during these days. A day in my life equaled a day in his, minus a few hours' difference.

During this time, Link also showed me how to use other weapons like the Hookshot and the bow. The first time I used the Hookshot, I nearly let go in midair because I was so surprised. Link made it look easy as he flew from one building's roof to the next, but I had to focus on aiming properly and not letting go. The first few times I closed my eyes, but this resulted in me almost tumbling down to the ground when my feet unexpectedly made contact. But I improved, and Link moved me on to archery as soon as he was satisfied.

Learning how to use the Fairy Bow was a lot easier—just aim, pull back, and release. At first, I could barely pull back the bowstring more than six inches, but as the nights went by, I could shoot fairly well.

My dream world events were going a lot more smoothly than the real world events, despite the fact that there was a very distinct possibility that I could die. Christmas passed without the slightest acknowledgement from my mom or me. My dad never called home and seemed to be perfectly happy on his own.

I felt completely isolated from the rest of the world and spent all my days milling about wishing for snow. It only snowed about once a year, but I couldn't help but hope.

And then one night, something strange happened.

As usual, I was transported to Hyrule, Kokiri Forest to be exact, in my sleep. Link wasn't in sight when I arrived, but this wasn't anything unusual. It had become harder and harder to find him with each trip. Climbing up his ladder, I entered his house. The inside was dark and cool. Propped on the table was a small note with a few illustrations hastily drawn. I picked it up and scanned through the words. He had gone to the castle again, in hopes of finding clues leading to Ganondorf.

I followed his instructions and prepared myself. First, I found the sword he had given to me and strapped it on securely. I got out my fencing gloves and put those on too. After exchanging a few more articles of clothing for more practical outfits, I got ready to leave. As I headed out the door, I securely strapped on my watch to my wrist.

Dodging behind mounds of dirt and hiding in grass, I managed to avoid the attention of any possible monsters lurking around. When I was sure there were none, I made a mad dash to the tunnel and bridge connecting Kokiri with Hyrule fields. Nothing out of the ordinary popped out at me, so I slowly relaxed, though I still kept a firm grip on my sword.

Crossing Hyrule fields by moonlight was slightly nerve wracking. I imagined every shadow and every bush to be a potential enemy. I had no idea how Link managed to keep his cool all the time.

After about an hour of paranoia and walking, I finally found myself before the drawbridge of Hyrule market—at least, where it used to be. Someone or something had blasted it apart so that only shattered pieces of wood and twisted metal were left scattered around the moat. I was half-relieved and half-worried. On the one hand, I could now see into the market and could be more prepared to enter. On the other hand, I didn't feel like jumping into the murky-looking water and getting wet. However, there wasn't any other way of getting in as far as I could tell.

Cursing my lack of choice, I steeled myself for the swim. I didn't have a hook shot with me, and even if I did, I wouldn't use it for this gap. Landing on the stone pathway on the other side might be painful. With a slight sigh of resignation, I lowered myself into the water. It would've been easier for me to take a running leap and go as far as I could without actually going into the water, but I didn't want a splash announcing my arrival. The events of the last time Link and I visited the markets were still vivid. I shuddered, partly from cold, partly from fear and disgust.

The water clung to me as if it were heavy with sadness. I pushed it out of my thoughts as I just focused on reaching the other side. As soon as I did, I hurriedly clambered out of the moat and tried to wring as much water out of my clothes as possible. The night air chilled me to the bone and I hoped that I wouldn't get sick.

With a timid look around me, I proceeded into the market. My surroundings were eerily quiet, and I hadn't seen a single sign of Link.

I began to relax slightly as I saw no sign of danger, but I was worried. Where could Link possibly be? I groaned at all the possibilities. Best not to think about anything. Just focus on the task at hand, I told myself.

Suddenly, my ears picked up the distant sound of metal clanging, much like the sound a sword would produce as it made contact with another hard surface. It sounded like it was coming from the castle's direction.

Doubling my pace, I prepared myself to fight.

The sounds became louder as I approached the castle, and I thought I could faintly discern the snarls of monsters along with cries of a person—a person who sounded a lot like Link.

I broke into a sprint and the path beneath my feet rushed by. Finally, as I turned a corner in the trail, I caught sight of Link battling with a rather large beast on top of a hill. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to reach him since the castle gates were locked. I knew that there were vines to climb in the game, but I didn't trust myself to climb them.

Biting my lip, I doubled back to find my only chance of reaching Link. I spotted the natural ladder right where it was in the game. Making sure my belongings were securely attached to me, I took the thick vine in my gloved hands and tried to pull myself up. Needless to say, I failed miserably.

Desperately clinging to the vine while scrabbling trying to find a foothold, I managed to pull myself up a few feet. I panted. At this rate, I'd be too tired to fight any monsters. Suddenly, I heard a faint growl behind me. I forced myself to stay calm as I turned my head slowly. Behind me, about 30 feet away, was a Wolfos. It looked a lot larger than it was in the game.

I held dead-still, hoping and praying that it hadn't spotted me. It hadn't—it had smelled me. It was raising its head high and sniffing the air. I held my breath, not daring to twitch. However, the vine that I was holding on to had no such inclinations of keeping quiet. With a loud _snap_, it splintered. I slid down a few inches and let out a yelp. That was all the Wolfos needed. With an aggressive snarl, it bounded forward to catch its newfound prey.

Adrenaline rushed into my blood and I began to move with quickness I didn't know I possessed. Grabbing on to a new vine, I vaulted myself up. My shoes scrapped against the cliff as I kicked my way up. I wasn't sure if the Wolfos could climb or not, but I didn't want to take my chances.

I let out a squeak of terror as I felt something tug on the bottom of my pants. Looking down, I saw the Wolfos launching itself into the air trying to snare me. Gritting my teeth, I dug my shoes further into the ledge and frantically pulled on the vines.

After what seemed like an eternal struggle, I catapulted myself over the edge and collapsed on the ground, exhausted. The wolf creature hadn't been able to follow me. I breathed a sigh of relief, and then jumped as my predator let out a loud howl. I whipped my face around to look over at Link's battle about two hundred feet away. The Wolfos he was fighting sprang back a few feet to avoid his attacks and then howled back.

Regaining my senses, I picked myself up and ran toward the gate's structure so I could reach Link. The Wolfos that had been chasing me followed on the trail at the bottom. I quickly ran across the gate, drawing my sword as I did so.

Suddenly realizing that I didn't bring a shield, I picked up a fallen branch that wasn't too heavy and carried it in my left hand. Although it wouldn't do much good if I were hit, at least it put one more thing between me and my enemy.

"Link!" I shouted as soon as I was close enough. He glanced in my direction for a split second before focusing back on the fight. He swung his sword furiously and managed to slash the Wolfos in the chest. The creature staggered backwards and crumpled to the ground. Link rushed forward and slammed his blade into the beast's body where the heart should be.

The body of the Wolfos convulsed twice before falling still. Link withdrew his sword and wiped off the blood on the grass. He then sheathed it and walked toward me.

"Jay!" he said as soon as he had caught his breath. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "There's another Wolfos coming though," I warned. "It tried to get me, but I escaped."

Somehow, Link managed to give me a mischievous smile despite his obvious weariness.

"Do you want some water?" I asked, noting his sweat-covered face and damp hair. He nodded tiredly before accepting a bottle of water from me. Thank goodness I had thought well enough to bring nourishment.

I looked around nervously. "Where did that other Wolfos go?"

Link also looked around, though he seemed to be slightly more relaxed than me. "These creatures are cunning. They know that once one of them has been killed, it's best to leave. It probably went to inform its pack of what happened."

"Oh," I said, not very reassured. Surely we should leave as soon as possible.

Link seemed to read my thoughts and said, "Come on, we can't stay. Besides, I have an evil man to find here." He took my arm and began to lead me toward the dark castle looming above us.

"L-Link?" I asked, nervous. "Are we really going into that castle?" Suddenly, all my courage deserted me and my knees felt so weak.

Link paused and turned around, examining my face with his ice-blue eyes. My feat must've been obvious, for he relaxed a little and let go of my arm. "You're not _scared_, are you?" he asked teasingly.

"No, no, of course not!" I said, forcing confidence into my voice. "Do you really think Ganondorf is in there though?"

"Yes, I do." Link nodded slowly and clenched his fist. "I can feel him."

Slightly taken aback, I could only stare and nod dumbly at him.

"You don't have to come with me, you know," he reminded me gently.

"And stay out here by myself where I can get attacked by a mob of vicious wolves at any minute? No, thank you!"

Link grinned. "I'm saying that you can always go back to my house and stay there. It's safer than this."

I shook my head. "I like to be a part of things."

Link smiled warmly at me and reached over to squeeze my shoulder gently. "Then let's go."

I nodded determinedly. "Yes, let's." _Before my courage deserts me once again._

We walked confidently over to the large castle doors. I looked up and was shocked to find that the doors loomed at least twenty feet above our heads. I gulped.

Link placed his hand on the door and pushed gently. When it didn't budge, he applied a bit more pressure.

With a loud, protesting screech, the door swung open slowly. A gust of cold, musty air hit my and I shuffled back a little. I couldn't see anything beyond the giant doorway. Suddenly, I felt like crawling into a corner and staying there.

"Come on," Link whispered, gently tugging my arm. I merely nodded, not trusting my stomach to keep its contents if I opened my mouth. Hesitantly, I followed Link as he boldly entered the castle.

I could hardly see anything in the castle since there was no light source. I heard a bit of shuffling coming from Link and he suddenly took out a crystal of Din's Fire again. Fire lanced out of his hands and he held it above our heads. It illuminated a rather shaggy torch about twenty feet to our left. Walking over carefully, he reached up and transferred the flames into the torch.

He repeated this process about five more times as we walked around looking for torches. When he finally lit all the ones we could see, I was able to observe the kind of place we were in.

The castle was still very dim, and the air held a heavy feeling of tiredness in it. A thin layer of dust covered just about everything except for where Link and I had walked. We appeared to be in a round foyer type room. There were five doors along the walls and looking up to the ceiling, all I could discern was the illusion of endless depth. In the center of the room we were in, a large spiral staircase disappeared into the darkness. It was missing a few steps though so there was no way we'd be able to climb it now. I knew that was where we had to go in order to reach Ganondorf. Although I couldn't see any monsters, I was still nervous.

Link turned to me and whispered, "What do we have to do?"

"I don't know," I whispered back. "You told me that there are no such things as temples, but in the game, each temple has a small obstacle to get past. Those obstacles would've been behind those doors," I explained as I pointed at each of the five doors.

"But since there aren't any temples, there shouldn't be any obstacles, right?" Link asked. I didn't know how to answer.

"Perhaps we should…" I trailed off, biting my lip. I didn't really feel like finding out what sorts of mayhem were behind those doors.

Link seemed to know what I was about to say, though, for he walked over to one of the doors and threw it open, at the same time drawing his sword and placing his shield in front of him. I braced myself, taking out my sword and waiting for a monster to rush out. After a few seconds though, nothing came.

Timidly, I stepped forward to join Link. He was tense and grasped his weapon before him to greet any foe. Peering through the open door, I could see nothing but darkness. I relaxed, letting out a quiet sigh.

"Jay," Link whispered, his eyes fiercely focused on something behind the door. His manner scared me. "Reach into the pouch next to my right hand and take out a fire crystal."

_Fire crystal _was what Link called Din's Fire. I nodded slightly and opened the leather bag tied to his belt and removed one small precious stone. Link hadn't moved an inch from his semi-crouch.

"Now," he breathed. I had to strain to catch his words. "On the count of three, I want you to activate its powers and throw the flames into the room."

"Activate its powers?" I asked in a low voice. "How…?"

"Crush it in your palm. Are you ready?"

I nodded, though he couldn't see me. Link could obviously sense something that I couldn't, and I was worried.

"One…" Link began to count. I stiffened.

"Two…" I prepared to break open the small yet powerful weapon.

"Three!" I immediately applied pressure to the fire crystal and felt the glass shattering between my fingers. Instantly, flames erupted from between my clenched fist and shot wildly around me. After a slight shock, I directed the flames and hurled it from me into the room.

At the same time, from the murky depths leapt two screaming Lizalfos, ready to attack. My eyes widened as I took a step backwards. Link had already gathered himself into a jump as he chose one of the unlucky enemies to deal with. Steel clashed against steel as their swords met, sparks flying.

However, there was still another one, and this one came for me. I barely brought my sword up to fend off the first blow.

My arm shook from the vibrations of the contact. Screeching, the Lizalfo kart wheeled backwards away from me, landing about ten feet away and ready to rush forward again. Never before had I been engaged in a true battle for my life. I thought I would've been scared, but oddly enough, I felt strong.

Tensing, I readied myself to move as the creature attacking me half-sprinted, half-jumped at me. Ducking down to avoid a swipe at my head, I rolled on the ground in an attempt to stab the lizard animal in the stomach. It was too fast for me, though, and all my sword touched was its shield.

With a vicious snarl, it raised its weapon above its scaled head, as if to stab me viciously. Reacting quickly, I mustered up my energy and hurled myself up and away from the deadly blade. I heard a dull _thunk _as the Lizalfo's sword pierced into the floor where my neck had been a moment earlier.

Taking full advantage of the situation, I ran toward the creature while it was unable to attack. I still had to dodge its shield though. Grabbing on to one of its pieces of armor, I pulled as hard as I could. I heard a satisfying snap as the metal plate came off. I now had a somewhat efficient shield.

I used my newly acquired shield to shove my opponent. The lizard lost its balance a little as it tried to claw at me. Quickly, I thrust my sword out and was rewarded by an ear-shattering scream from the Lizalfo. I had managed to slice its shield arm.

I didn't have time to enjoy my small victory, though, since the wounded creature lashed out at me with the force of an angry animal in pain. The back of its claw made contact with the side of my head. Letting out a small yelp, I tumbled to the ground, bright lights dancing around my eyes as I struggled to block out the pain.

With a savage wrench, the Lizalfo managed to free its sword from the floor. Menacingly, it advanced toward where I lay on the ground. So my end had come. I could only watch in terror as it drew back its weapon and lunged at me.

Suddenly, a sword slashed through the air and the Lizalfo's sword arm was severed from its body. Its eyes widened in shock and disbelief as its breath escaped from it. It fell slowly down to the ground and landed face down with a loud thump. In its place stood Link, panting, but looking slightly pleased.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, concerned as he help me up from the ground.

"Y-Yeah," I said shakily. My head was pounding, though, and I had a hard time focusing. I staggered slightly as I tried to walk.

The ground beneath our feet began to rumble, though. Link and I watched as another stair appeared on the staircase. We were a little closer to reaching Ganon.

"So I'm guessing that we have to go through the rest of these doors in order for all the missing stairs to come up, eh?" Link asked. I nodded weakly.

"Here, drink a little bit of this," Link offered as soon as he noticed my state, holding out a bottle of a red liquid toward me. I recognized it as a special healing potion. I gratefully accepted the already uncorked bottle and took a couple of small sips. After a few seconds, I could feel my head clearing up and all the aches in my body leaving. Smiling, I handed the bottle back to him. He, too, took a drink before tightly corking it again and placing it into a large pouch at his side.

"Well, that was rather exciting!" he said with a sly smile on his lips as he sheathed his sword. The Lizalfo he had dealt with lay motionless next to the open door from whence it came.

"Rather!" I agreed sarcastically. "Thanks," I added.

"For what?" Link asked, confused.

I smiled. "For saving my life, silly. Why else?"

"Bah, no big deal," Link said sheepishly, waving it away. "Those things were pretty tough. You should've brought the shield I gave you, though." I quickly tossed the Lizalfo's armor away from me and walked over to the corpse. I picked up the lizard's shield and carried it before me. I laughed quietly.

"I have one now."

"Shall we move on now?" Link asked.

"Ah…" I said, reluctant. Shaking off my feat, I nodded.

Link nodded back at me with an encouraging smile. "You did great," he assured.

I smiled slightly. "Which door should we go to next?" I asked.

Link looked around. "Beats me," he admitted. "It doesn't seem like there's any particular order that we should follow."

By now, I had lost all sense of direction and could only agree. "Should we just go around in a circle now?"

"Yes, that seems logical," Link agreed. "The sooner we finish all these obstacles, the sooner we can run up to meet Ganny himself."

"Ganny?," I laughed, glancing at the large staircase. Ganondorf's power seemed to diminish a little with the silly nickname.

"Yes," Link said jokingly. "It's what I call him in my head to make him seem less formidable. But…let's get going."

I nodded slowly and followed him over to the next door. Bracing myself, I wonder what would be behind this one. Link drew his sword again.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," I replied.

Link yanked on the doorknob and the portal flew open toward us. From its depths emerged about thirty flying pots.

"Use your shield!" I yelled at Link as the first of the pots raced toward him. Link brought his shield up to cover his face and the satisfying sound of breaking pottery reverberated through the room. I had to raise my shield too as a dozen or so pots came for me. I held on tight as the dreadful things smashed onto my protective barrier.

Finally, all the pots had been reduced to shattered pieces of clay on the ground. I lowered my shield as Link did the same.

"Well, that was easy!" I exclaimed, happy for the simple task.

"Too easy…" Link muttered. He backed away from the door and stood by me.

I stared at him, scared, before turning my attention back into the open door. Cursing the serious lack of light, I could only wait to see what would happen.

Seconds stretched into minutes, but still nothing happened. I wondered whether this room had anything else.

Suddenly, I heard scuttling sounds that seemed be to getting closer. Automatically tensing, I waited to see what it could be. The sounds stopped for a moment before starting again, now sounding a lot closer. A horrible suspicion built in the back of my mind. Link looked confused though, since he couldn't see the enemy that was making the noise. Then again, he didn't know that these enemies were not meant to be seen.

Seconds later, a dark shadow sprang from the room. My suspicion was confirmed: it was a Floormaster.

"What is _that_?" Link yelled as the monster scuttled toward us. It was a dark brown color and looked as if it was half-rotted.

"A Floormaster!" I yelled. "Don't let it touch you! We have to attack it and it will separate into three smaller ones. Then we can get rid of those."

Just after I finished speaking, it reached us. Rearing up, its fingers stretched as if to grab us. It was a lot larger than I thought it would be.

I swung my sword and winced as I felt it rip into the crumbling flesh. The Floormaster clenched itself into a fist. If it had been able to make any noise, I was sure it would've screamed. Link slashed at the back of it while it was wounded.

Despite our efforts, it quickly recovered and retreated quickly away from us. It stopped when ten feet of space separated us from it and seemed to gather itself for a powerful rush.

It was so fast when it came that I didn't even see as it clutched Link in its grasp and proceeded to drag him back into the room.

"Link!" I cried as soon as I realized what was going on.

Link struggled vainly against the creature. His arms were pinned to his sides, though, and he couldn't attack. Luckily, the Floormaster could not move at a normal pace while holding such a large object. I dashed forward and hacked away at the fingers holding Link, trying to free his arms.

I was successful when the Floormaster exploded into three smaller ones. Link stumbled a bit as his feet touched the ground again, but he immediately regained his balance and rushed at the small hands.

He let out a savage growl as he skewered one with his sword. Following his example, I did the same to another. The things refused to die though, and they squirmed on our blades. I shook my sword as hard as I could, trying to keep the foul thing away from my body.

I was so focused on the Floormaster stuck on my sword that I didn't notice the third one turning green and charging at me until it was too late. With a strength I didn't expect from something so small, it rammed into my stomach and knocked me off my feet. It then rushed over to its fellow monster on my sword and began to help it off.

Soon, two free miniature Floormasters were free and looking for the third. I knew that if Link and I couldn't kill these things now, they would merge into a larger one again.

Thankfully, at that moment, Link let out a triumphant cheer as the monster he had been dealing with stopped struggling and crumpled to the ground. The other remaining ones, one badly injured, retreated slightly.

I got onto my feet again and joined Link as we backed them against a wall. With a powerful leap, Link raised his sword above his head and sliced the already injured Floormaster. With a final twitch of its fingers, it died.

I took this opportunity while the third one was momentarily distracted to attack it. I managed to pin it down, struggling, on the floor while Link crushed it beneath his boot. After a few seconds, its movements slowed and finally ceased.

I instantly relaxed and slumped down on the floor. Link managed to keep his dignity and remained upright as we both watched the second step coming up on the staircase.

I shook my head and hoisted myself up off the ground. "These monsters were a lot easier to beat in the game," I muttered.

"I've never seen anything like them before," Link said, gazing at the rotten hands on the ground. "They're quite…disgusting."

I agreed with a vigorous nod. "I wonder what's in the next room…"

"Only one way to find out," Link said, grinning. "Despite the tension and the enormous amounts of danger, I kind of enjoy this."

I smiled slightly at him. It was in his nature to love adventure. I didn't know if the Triforce existed or not, but even if it didn't, courage was very much present in Link's soul. Glancing down at my dirt-covered hands, I saw my watch.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "I had forgotten about the time."

Link gazed at me curiously as I pulled the watch over to see the time. It was already 7:00 AM! Why wasn't I leaving?

"Link," I said, worry creeping into my voice even though I tried to keep calm. "I don't have school today, but I usually should be going back about now."

Link's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Could your time-teller be broken possibly?"

I shook my head vehemently. "It's not broken. I know it's not. It still has batteries and it wouldn't just mess up the time randomly."

Link obviously didn't know what "batteries" were, but he decided not to argue.

"Maybe you'll leave any second now," he reassured. "Let's take a small break, anyways."

I nodded, trying to keep my mind off this dilemma, but I couldn't. Would my body still be in the real world, seemingly asleep? What if my mom came into my room to discover that I wouldn't wake up? What if my body wasn't even _there_ anymore?

Squeezing my eyes shut and denying myself the rest that I sorely wanted, I turned to Link and said, "Actually, let's go to the next door. I want something to distract me."

Link stared at me for a few seconds before agreeing silently.

We walked solemnly over to the next door.

"Can I open it this time?" I asked, smiling slightly at the silliness of my question.

Link laughed a little and stepped aside to let me grab the doorknob.

**Review please!! –is begging on knees-**


	11. Chapter 10

**-cough- a little late, eh? I got a bit distracted with other internet stuff. Anyways, Link is not mineeee.**

**Chapter 10**

A gust of cold air blasted past my head as soon as the door opened fully. I could instantly sense that this room was different from the previous ones. For one, it was very bright inside. For another, it was extremely cold.

"What _is_ this?" Link asked, squinting as he tried to see the room's contents.

"It's a small obstacle course," I told him. I recognized this room as one from the Ice Cavern, with a few minor differences—it was bigger and contained a few more dangerous-looking monsters. However, these creatures made no sign of attacking us although it was obvious we'd been spotted.

"What's the point of it?" Link asked, confused. "Can we skip it?"

"Not if we want those stairs to come down," I said, waving my hand over my shoulder towards the center of the room.

"Ah, right," Link said as he shook his head slightly. "So, umm, what do we have to do?"

"Well, first we have to go in," I said, looking around.

Link made to step across the threshold into the room.

"Wait!" I said suddenly. My ears had picked up on the faintest scratching noise.

"What is it?" Link asked, confused. The noise got louder though, and he heard it too. Suddenly, a Razor Trap flew out right in front of us. If Link had stepped into the room, he would've been ripped apart by the deadly metal contraption.

"That was close," I whispered, shaking slightly. "We have to avoid those things." 

"Yeah," Link said, a little out of breath. "Thanks, Jay. You really just saved my life."

"I expect that you'll be the one doing the life saving in the future, though," I mumbled, flattered by his words. Eager to change the topic, I said, "All right, now we have to find the silver rupees."

"We have to find those tiny things?" Link exclaimed.

I mentally slapped my head. I had expected it to be easy since the rupees were so noticeable in the game. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"I…I forgot that rupees are actually supposed to be really small," I sighed. "Well, let's just try, I guess."

Link nodded in agreement.

As soon as the coast was clear, we both tiptoed into the freezing room. We decided to split up to search for the silver rupees since it would be quicker.

I crept around, trying to avoid the notice of the Freezards. After a few minutes of searching, I still hadn't seen a single rupee. Suddenly, behind me, I heard a loud shattering noise. I whipped around to see Link valiantly slash a Freezard apart with his sword. The monster tried to turn on him, but since it was made of ice, its movements were too slow. With two more ear-shattering strokes, Link defeated the monster. He was about to walk away towards the next foe when I saw something shimmer on the ground that wasn't ice.

"Link, look!" I called out in a loud whisper. I pointed to the place where the Freezard had been standing only moments before. A tiny silver rupee lay there.

"Aha!" Link cried triumphantly as he picked it up. The small rupee glowed in his hand for a moment before flying up to hang in midair, too high up for either of us to reach.

"Hey!" Link cried, angered by the sudden loss of his prize.

"No…I think that's supposed to happen," I said, not too sure myself. With one last glare at it, Link nodded and snuck toward the next Freezard. I also turned and decided to approach one from behind.

Defeating the Freezards was the easiest thing I had faced yet. With a few heavy blows from my sword, the ice monster crumpled to pieces, uncovering the small rupee it had been guarding. Each rupee glowed at contract and flew up to join its brethren in the middle of the room. In under ten minutes, Link and I had defeated the six total Freezards and found all of the silver rupees.

As soon as Link touched the last rupee and it made its way over to the others, the six rupees glowed brighter than ever. I covered my eyes and squinted up at them as they appeared to spin around. Suddenly, a single ray shot out of the group and straight towards the stairs. Again, the room rumbled and one more stair appeared out of the ground.

"Just two more to go," I breathed. Link nodded grimly and the two of us picked our way back out of this room.

"It's always a surprise what lies behind the door," Link smiled as we reached the fourth room.

"Everything's a surprise here," I said. Suddenly remembering to check the time again, I glanced at my watch. 7:30 AM…Why was I still here? I always left before 6:30 AM, always! But now…No time to think about that now, I told myself.

Link's hand was turning on the doorknob now and I steeled myself. But when the door opened, I was taken completely by surprise.

"It's…empty," Link murmured.

I was suddenly suspicious, but the room was well-lit—no monster could possibly be lurking in the shadows.

"Should we…?" I asked.

"We have to, don't we?" Link asked, grinning slightly.

I gulped, sword arm trembling. Somehow, this room scared me more than the others. Hesitantly, we both stepped into the room. Nothing happened. Everything was completely still. I relaxed a little.

Link wandered slowly into the room, looking warily from side to side. All was calm. As soon as he reached the middle, though, everything changed.

The door behind me slammed shut on its own accord, metal bars sliding over to prevent any escape.

"Link!" I cried, scared out of my wits. The room shook a little as three hidden doors opened in the walls. I lifted my shield instinctively as Link crouched down. Suddenly, three Gerudo guards leapt out.

I was taken by complete surprise. I had been expecting something awful and disgusting, but three guards were pretty bad too.

Steel clanged as one of them swung her sword at Link and hit his shield. The other two rushed at me. Great, gang up on the weakling, will you?

I stood still for a moment as they charged at me, and then, when it looked like they were going to hit me, I ducked and rolled out of the way, hitting one across the shins with my shield and stabbing up at the other with my sword.

I didn't seem to hurt them much though as they ran at me yet again. This time, I decided to take them one at a time. With a growl, I raised my shield and ran head on at the guard closest to me. Her eyes widened in surprise as I collided with her. Too afraid to actually kill her since she was human, I gave shut my eyes and hit the side of her face with my shield. With a small yelp, she crumpled to the ground unconscious.

The next guard wasn't that easy, though. Instead of going for me, she turned and ran straight at Link, who was too busy dealing with the other guard.

Amazingly, before I had a chance to even call out and warn him, he whirled around and struck out at the guard, managing to knock away both her swords. She tried to retrieve them, but I beat her to it since I was closer to the weapons. I stood over them with my own sword raised, challenging her to come if she dared. Weaponless, she was forced to stay out of the way, but she could still distract Link and help her companion.

"Oh, no you don't!" I yelled as she made to try and attack him from behind. I crashed into her, knocking her to the ground. Immediately, I placed my sword tip at her throat. I inwardly cheered myself, feeling proud.

With a few more deft swings with his sword, Link disarmed the last guard. She raised her hands above her head. And laughed.

I stared at her, surprised to see her careless attitude in the face of defeat. Then I was instantly worried that she had another trick up her sleeve, but that thought was instantly brushed away as she spoke.

"Well done, kids," she smiled at Link and me. "You can let Kailuah up now, you know," she added to me.

"Oh!" I said, forgetting that I still had my sword pointed at the second guard's throat. Kailuah got up, slightly disheveled and looking very annoyed that she got been bested by a kid. She walked over to the unconscious guard and checked her pulse.

"Man, kid, you must've really hit her hard with your shield," she mumbled.

"Well!" the first guard said as she clapped her hands together. The door immediately opened again and we could go out. "Only one more room to go, eh?" she grinned.

"How did you—?" Link started.

"How did I know?" the guard laughed. "I have my ways. The name's Kailiri. And the unconscious one's Kailana. We're sisters, in case you were wondering. If you ever need to drop by our fortress, just ask for us and we'll bail you out."

"Uh, thanks," Link said, a little unsure if she was being serious or not. "Come on, Jay, let's go."

He took my arm and guided me to the door.

"Oh, and kid!" Kailiri called out to us just as we were about to exit. "I'll give you a little hint about the next room. Can you conquer yourself? Bye, now!" She waved cheerfully and shooed us out the room. As soon as we were out, she clapped her hands again and the door shut once more. In front of us, the fourth step raised itself into place.

"What kind of a hint was that?" Link asked, glaring back at the closed door.

I laughed. "A very good one."

Link turned to me. "Oh yeah, I forgot. I have a guide with me." He smiled. "Care to tell me what's in the next room?"

"Of course. It's Dark Link. He's basically like your shadow. He'll copy all of your moves, so you'd better think of some fancy ones."

"So that's it?"

"I think so."

"Haaa, that'll be a piece of cake!"

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're that confident about beating yourself?"

"How hard can it be?"

"But you're you and it's you so you two are equals!"

"We'll see, we'll see." He grinned evilly and marched forward to the final door.

It swung open easily. I peered into the familiar room of illusions. The misty water, small island, and lonely tree were exactly as I knew them.

"Should you just wait outside for me?" Link asked.

"And miss out on this fight? No way!"

"Whatever you want, but try not to get hurt." He winked as I stuck out my tongue at him.

"So, uhh, where's this Dark Link?" he asked, as soon as we were in the room.

"Right there," I said calmly, pointing at the top of the tree. Dark Link was resting casually in the branches. Upon seeing and hearing us though, he leapt down smoothly.

"Think you're cool, do you?" Link sneered. I giggled. "Hey! I'm trying to be tough here!" Link pouted.

I nodded slightly, trying to hide a smile as I shifted to one side.

"Hello, Link," a voice said forebodingly. I started in surprise. Dark Link could talk? He was just a shadow! He sounded exactly like Link, but somehow it was different—much more sinister.

"I see you brought a friend," he continued. "All the more fun for me, I suppose."

"I thought you were only supposed to copy my moves!" Link said, glaring at Dark Link.

"You thought wrong. I'm not a silly little puppet Ganondorf created. I am you, Link. I am all the evil inside you concentrated into one form."

"You're wrong. I fight for justice."

Dark Link cackled. "You truly believe that? Are you sure you're not fighting to win something, Link? Glory? Fame? You want to be forever remembered as a hero."

Link blushed. "You don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled.

"Oh, but I do. Don't worry, you won't have to fight anymore. Just surrender, and Ganondorf will grant you whatever you want in all of Hyrule."

"You chose the wrong thing to say," Link growled. He leapt up and slashed angrily at Dark Link. Dark Link was just as fast though, raising his sword and shield to block the onslaught.

I backed away from them, trying to find a safe place to stand where I could still be of assistance to Link in case he needed me.

The two Links fought each other with fervor. One was defending his honor and all of Hyrule while the other was working to take those very same things away.

The battle between good and evil raged on for at least half an hour. Each time Link struck out, Dark Link would swiftly avoid the blow and vice versa. They were equally matched in every way except one—their goals. And that was all the difference needed to make Link win.

Finally, Link darted past Dark Link's defenses and stuck a crippling blow. The shadow crumpled into the water, clutching his stomach.

"Serves you right," Link muttered.

"Heh, does she know?" Dark Link grinned evilly from behind his hair.

"What?" Link asked, perplexed.

"You haven't asked Zelda?"

"Asked her _what_?" Link practically yelled.

"Why Jay's here." And with that, Dark Link's body vanished and along with it the illusions of the room.

"How did he know my name?" I asked, shocked.

"I…I think he could read my thoughts. During my fight with him, I always felt a connection between us. It really felt like he was a part of me." Link looked down at his feet, his face slightly paler than normal.

"He's gone now, Link," I said gently.

"No, you don't understand. While I was fighting him, I understood his desires and I sympathized with him. What if he was right? What if I really do have those dark thoughts inside me?"

"Don't listen to a single word he said."

"What about the stuff he said about you? I _should _talk to Zelda about it. You want to know what this is happening, don't you?"

"Yes…"

Link nodded. "Let's get out of here. The last step should be there now and out way to Ganondorf is clear."

I nodded and followed Link out the door.

The last step was indeed in place already. The staircase was dark and held an aura of evil around it.

"Well, no sense in just staring at it, right?" Link asked nervously. His voice sounded too loud in the room now.

I prepared to pull myself up to the first stair. Each stair was about four feet high, making them extremely difficult to climb.

I didn't have to, though. As I was struggling on the first step, something else was making its way slowly _down_ the staircase. Link pulled me back.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I have no idea…"

We both backed away from the stairs as we prepared to greet whatever was arriving.

**Bit of a cliffie, eh? –chuckles evilly- and yes, I had to stick Dark Link in there. 3**


End file.
